Gen X'ers growing up is the overarching theme of
Pure's sophomore set,
Generation Six-Pack. Fed up with hanging out and watching the world pass them by, the Canadians shake off their generation's supposed lethargy and turn a gimlet eye around them. "The Hammock" sums up this attitude; it's the ultimate anti-slacker song, vividly describing two friends growing apart as the guitars drowsily drone around them. And blurred guitars drift across much of the set, inspired as much by the
Velvet Underground as the shoegazers that
Pure obviously hold dear, or, in the case of "Lilac" and "Monster," the
Smashing Pumpkins at their hypnotic best. "Anna," an ode to a speed freak, swirls all these elements together, a shoegazing, indie/alterno-rock classic. "What It Is" reshuffles the deck, and brings the indie rock elements to the fore, with the blurred guitars now heightening the atmospheres. But
Pure are anything but a pure indie band. Their childhood record collections are too diverse, as they make lyrically clear on "Nobody Knows I'm New Wave." But forget the
Flock of Seagulls' CD sitting in their collection, it's the
Rolling Stones, and specifically Keith Richards who obviously make the biggest impression. You can hear their influences on "Lemonade," "The Tip," and "Primajuana," the latter cut through with ribbons of
Velvets,
New Order, and even '60s psych bands. Unlike so many other bands cut from that same cloth, however, the Canadians are willing to take risks, riding into walls of weirdness on "Popcycle" and into childhood funfairs on "Wagner's Show." The music thoroughly resonated at the time, but it's their lyrics that still resound today. ~ Dave Thompson