18-01-2012 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

Supports: April; Venue: Tivoli de Helling, Utrecht (Netherlands)
By: Sabine van Gameren

The Pains of Being Young At Heart came with their debut album in 2009 which got some good presscoverage. Anno 2011 the band returned with their second release “Belong” and they are touring with that right now.

As a support the band April took the stage. The band makes Indie/Wave music. Maybe they start with some simplicity in some way, just the two of them and a backup tape. This results in the sound being a bit flat at some times, but what the band does bring right is all what’s actually performed. You get the darker male vocals that give you the image this band would do perfectly well at Gothic festivals as well. Then the female voice brings the variation on it, the light in the darkness. It does appear a bit static and you can see the band is at a stage they are finding out what works best for them and grow into a steady act.

The Pains of Being Young At Heart are bringing more dynamica into the venue. They start quite intense to bring it all back to some slower songs after a bit, but let this energy live up straight after these to come to a climax at the end of their set. The band has a good connection with the audience, which seem to observe the show, feeling the points the band is addressing. The guitars are driving the sound but you cannot miss out on the vocals to bring you a full experience. With the keys being placed quite upfront at the stage the band makes the statement that the melodies are not going without those and it may be tempting to focus on the rest, because lady Peggy Wang brings her input in a modest way, but as gig is going halfway the setlist you notice she starts to demand more attention for her work. Well deserved, because looking at them as a total she is a great part of it.
Overall the performance of these New Yorkers is one that made the audience live with them, they capture their audience with the depth of their songs and do not let them absorb it too easily.