User ratings in Music are temporarily disabled. More info
The Echo of Pleasure Image
Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

  • Summary: The fourth full-length release for the New York indie pop band led by Kip Berman was produced by Andy Savours and features guest appearances from A Sunny Day in Glasgow's Jen Goma, Jacob Danish Sloan, and Kelly Pratt.
Buy Now
Buy on
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 9
  2. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Aug 29, 2017
    83
    The album bursts with breezy and tight arrangements, meditative melodies, and beautifully poignant lyricism, making it a simultaneously boyish and mature exploration of love, longing and everything in-between.
  2. Aug 28, 2017
    80
    It's a low-key record for a certain type of listener--this isn't a band clamouring for arena-rock status, just one that is happy making good music and having fun doing it.
  3. Aug 31, 2017
    80
    It may not pack the same sonic punch as their early singles, but it has an overall more interesting sound, and the hard-won wisdom and feeling Berman injects into the songs now means that the Pains have transcended their struggles to find a sound, and have truly arrived at last.
  4. Aug 29, 2017
    70
    Even with a relatively small amount of outside help, Berman’s songs are beefy, melodic throwbacks to college radio staples of decades past.
  5. Sep 7, 2017
    68
    If Abandon was the sound of a young man in flux, then Pleasure is the sound of settling.
  6. Magnet
    Aug 28, 2017
    60
    You have to admire the survivalist nature at hand here and the ability to craft an album that doesn't smack of inorganic hashtag laziness like those of many contemporaries. [No. 145, p.59]
  7. Aug 28, 2017
    40
    Whether it's their brutal attempt at gloomy chamber pop on 'My Only', their embarrassingly direct ripoff of a My Bloody Valentine track on 'Anymore', or their goofy, oddly timed guitar licks on 'The Garret', The Echo of Pleasure results in being an incredibly vague arena rock statement, one that's hopelessly gasping for life (and critical acclaim). As Berman's vocals have clearly aged, so have his songwriting abilities.

See all 9 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. May 1, 2018
    7
    I think The Pains of Being Pure At Heart are a great outfit. I get it that they lack a bit of substance but Kip Berman has a serious ear for aI think The Pains of Being Pure At Heart are a great outfit. I get it that they lack a bit of substance but Kip Berman has a serious ear for a tune. "Belong" is my favourite album of theirs and album number 4, "The Echo of Pleasure" comes a full 6 years after what I would consider to be their peak. From what I can gather, this is an album put together by Berman pretty much on his own. When held against past work, the differences are interesting. Much more synths, a bit more expansiveness and freedom in the songwriting but definitely a thinner, more compressed sound and for me the overall delivery of the material is less powerful than before. The youthful energy that was once a driving force now sounds a little put on. There has been a move away from indie pop and shoegaze to standard pop. The opening few tracks are outstanding and set the album up nicely and the rest of it is decent as well but I would say it's my least favourite Pains album. Expand