Belongby The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

The followup to a well-received debut, it's clear from the opening chords of the title track that the Pains have more at their command than the melancholy pop synth circa 80s New Order. Belong feels like alternative rock history advanced another decade with shoegaze sheets of distortion swelling and lifting the lilting vocals and melodies. No surprise with the producers of past Pumpkins, U2, and NIN manning the mixing board, and no less pleasing to followers who can still remember when those bands were cutting edge.