As the frontman of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Kip Berman wrote songs
about the thrills and ills of young adult life with the care and concern of a cool
older sibling. The long-standing New York City indie pop group disbanded soon
after releasing their final record in 2017, and Berman found himself at a creative
crossroads. He wanted to keep making music, but the themes and sounds he was
interested in had shifted; it felt time for a course correction.
Tethers, in spirit and sound, is a taut rope, charged with the tension between
wanting to go out and know the world, and the love that compels Berman to
stay home and find peace with his young family.
On Tethers, Berman has re-emerged with a bracing debut, reveling in the
freedom to go his own way, even if that way is home.