PureGrand updates the love song for the modern era with “Pictures”. Cleverly they bring together a unique number of styles, from 80s pop ballad to late aughts electro a la Ed Banger records, there is a playfulness to their delivery. His voice has an earnestness to it while he describes in vivid detail the new world of dating, online, app-wise and all. Refreshingly honest, he brings a tender tone to his voice allowing for that perfect capture of pure yearning. In some ways, the track itself offers nods to groups like the Human League by way of the modern synthesized attack of the keys, washing everything in a brilliant glow.
Right from the beginning they waste no time in getting started – in comes the whole arrangement in full. The vocals take the lead with the rest of the sound swirling about them, adding emphasis when necessary and pulling back in equal amounts. Within the multifaceted, multilayered approach it is easy to get lost in his clever storytelling. Highly giddy with its energy, he twists the classic tale of someone not matching their online photos. Usually, the way it goes is with people trying to look far better than they do in real life. For this story he goes the opposite direction – that their online photos do not do them justice. A much rarer occurrence it adds to the glee that so clearly runs through the entirety of the piece tying it all together.