If
the Pains of Being Pure at Heart made a big leap forward sonically with their second album, 2011's
Belong then 2014's
Days of Abandon is an attempt to consolidate their newly slick and streamlined approach into something even more shiny and radio-friendly. Stepping back from the arena-sized sound and dynamics of
Belong,
Days takes a more thoughtful and considered path that leads to a similar destination. Working for the first time without founding members Alex Naidus and Peggy Wang, singer/guitarist
Kip Berman relies on longtime collaborator
Kurt Feldman for musical support and also drafts in
A Sunny Day in Glasgow's Jen Goma to provide backing vocals as well as the occasional lead. The resulting changes in direction and personnel mean that the band sounds more like
the Sundays now instead of
Ride. Both are good-to-great bands, but they deliver different listening experiences. The thrilling whoosh of sound and sometimes breathtaking power in the music (
Ride) has been replaced with tenderly introspective lyrics, gently layered guitars and a focus on
Berman and Goma's vocals (
Sundays). This leads to some fine moments, like the uptempo pop song "Simple and Sure," and the song that hews closest to the old
Pains sound, "Until the Sun Explodes." ~ Tim Sendra