Belong

Do The Pains of Being Pure At Heart belong? After garnering widespread acclaim for their out-of-nowhere self-titled 2009 Slumberland debut, have The Pains made the kind of record that will matter to the kind of people to whom records still matter? From the opening explosions of electric guitar on "Belong" ("We don't") and the sumptuously synthetic dance pop perfection of "The Body," to the prom-in-heaven chorus of "Even in Dreams" and the closing moments of the uncommonly sincere and affecting "Strange" (". . .and dreams can still come true"), the answer is an unqualified, resounding (and damn good sounding): "Yes." Recorded with the production and mixing team of Flood (Depeche Mode, U2) and Alan Moulder (Smashing Pumpkins, Jesus and Mary Chain, Ride), Belong unleashes added power, while retaining all the sweet sweet melodies that still hit that pop spot.