The Pains of Being Pure at Heart / Bachelorette

Andy J Ryan Apr 26, 2023

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart – Oxford Art Factory, February 21, 2010

Emerging Brooklyn septet The Pains of Being Pure At Heart sweetened up Sunday night in Sydney on their first ever Australian tour.

The utterly polite crowd and affable atmosphere of the evening meant the OAF probably could have replaced one of the VB taps with a kettle and some Chai and offered strainers instead schooners.

Leading in for the much gushed about headliners was the one-lady and her laptop of the New Zealand-based Bachelorette, or Annabel Alpers to her roll call teacher. Alpers’ backdrop was an icy forest, though her demeanour that of almost apologetic shyness as she shrugged her way through a set of – not always compliant – computer provided electropop. The songs ranged from hauntingly ethereal sagas to innocently bouncing squirts, all delivered in an uniquely amazing voice and overall exceedingly pleasant indeed.

Pleasantness is something Brooklyn Septet The Pains of… have in spades. Right from their politely uttered thanks and talk of birthdays, twins, ‘totally awesome’ support bands, and their obvious sheer joy at just being in Australia and the fact that the singer’s mom was in attendance, the band were just so gosh-darn nice. Their songs, too – delivered with coy fringe flicks and aloof affectations - are sweetly strummed odes to crushes, fond feelings and other such lovely things. The crowd were charmed from the opening of the mischievous ‘This Love is F***king Right’ and clung on tight as the band veered through their small, but potent catalogue comprising their debut album and more recent EP, with a couple of brand spanking new tracks thrown in for giggles.

The band possess the full satchel-bag of styles at their disposal. We got everything doses of dreamy boy/girl vocal ones – ‘Hey Paul’ and ‘Come Saturday’ – the glossy and glorious pop of ‘Young Adult Friciton’, the fuzz-hazed ‘Higher Than the Stars’ or their most affecting jangling stomp and ringing-guitar filled slices of bliss of ‘Gentle Sons’ and ‘This Tenure Itch’ to top it all off. A soon to be bigger-band delivering some near-classic gems wrapped and presented in just an adorably wholesome package equalled a rather smashing Sunday night. Bring those pure hearts back soon.