Texas:

Pure X

CITY: Austin
SONG TO DOWNLOAD: “Easy”
WEBSITE: http://soundcloud.com/pure-x

It’s not exactly shocking that Pleasure, the debut full-length from Pure X, was one of last year’s most underrated LPs. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t have any radio-ready hits. On the surface, the Austin-based trio make tranquil, straightforward, hypnagogic pop. But in reality, Pleasure is an understated, hyper-nuanced record that begs to be played through high-quality headphones on repeat. Traces of shoegaze, jangle-pop, and ’50s rock and roll burn slowly between gooey layers of reverb gauze and trance-inducing guitar noise. Lyrics are uncomplicated, reflective, and often indecipherable. “I’m stuck living the same song,” vocalist Nate Grace sings on “Stuck Livin,” a line that might as well be the mission statement for the album’s sluggish cohesiveness and its consistent, contemplative mood. As the temperatures rise and the asphyxiating humidity sets in, Pure X might just be the perfect antidote to the maximalist mega-hits that typically crowd the summer charts.

_Patrick McDermott

Read more about Pure X

Record Label You Should Know: Forest Family Records

Dallas-based Forest Family is the brainchild of tastemakers Gorilla vs. Bear and Weekly Tape Deck; their catalog includes releases from rising acts like Dent May, Gauntlet Hair, and Cults.

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