As far as classic first albums go, this new 10-track S/T release by NYC band, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, is near to tipping that scale.  With all of the spirit of every memorable element of NYC grit and swagger found in each song, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart or POBPAH, as they’re being referred to has crafted a spectacular album.  Every great album from NYC is filled with excitement, and remembered for decades later due to its beauty, and this album is a part of that.

The songs of this album have an underground feel to them that make up the classic structures of The Velvet Underground albums, as well as works by many of the great ‘70s bar bands.  This album starts off with “Contender,” an entrancing lead-in to the power of the second tune, the power-punk of “Come Saturday.”  To hear that guitar in “Young Adult Friction,” well…folks, it is perfectly rock ‘n’ roll.  The years of the past are all rolled into this freshness, so much so that a sincere aficionado of rock and roll will adore this album for years to come.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is one of the more stunning debuts we have heard in years.  Simple, pure, and gritty, this album is absolutely necessary to any collection.  And we mean that in the sincerest of ways.  Besides, how much perfection comes your way?