Artist: Pure Love
Title: Anthems
Rating: 3.5/5
Check out these tracks: “Handsome Devils Club,” “Anthem,” “The Hits”
Similar Artist: The Fratellis, Razorlight, Maximo Park
Happy Valentine’s Day to all, don’t let the grumbling loners keep you down. Celebrate! I have eloquently chosen an album by the artist Pure Love. No, their vocals don’t solely wax on the nature of love. If you require such paltry fair, I’m sure T-Swift can provide the whole spectrum of relationship angst.
This week my offering is an interesting cross of genre. Harkening back to bolder days, Pure Love has an infusion of British underground a la 1999. It’s punk-inspired but does not embrace that moodier genre. Instead, it’s crafted into less-rebellious sorts to suit our coddled 2013 disposition.
I can tell you it’s good. For, at the very least, my ears enjoyed the experience. I would not say any one song grabbed my attention but I was entertained throughout. Perhaps the monotonous homogeny of the album is what soured my heart.
In my youth, growing wiry and misshapen among the thistle, I learned a powerful lesson that an album has to “check yourself before you wreck yourself.” I also learned to wear stunna glasses at night but alas, all that glitters is not gold.
Pure Love’s vocals are what drew me close. Their lead singer, Frank Carter, has a voice that pulls you in, embraces you, and maybe brushes that tube grit off your shoulder. Sadly, due to the “garage rock” subgenre they freely associate with, his voice is periodically stifled by instrumental flair.
I’d say this band has potential, but there are ailments they should quickly address. It does not fall into the two camps of alt rock clones that plague the genre; that of the sleepy man-boy technobabble or the heavy-handed Fall Out Boy callback. There is always room for more shout anthems, and they appear to have a few. I encourage you to listen — though unvaried, this could be your new sound. This band has more than enough room to improve. I will patiently wait.
— Beaugart Gerber
