Growing Pains - Daniel Loves Mandy Forever (2026) Hi-Res

Labeling band’s music has become a very hard job for PR people, as artists and bands these days keep crossing the strictly formulated terms that are supposed to describe the music in any new release.

That just might be the only problem Portland, Oregon’s Growing Pains might have with their debut album Daniel Loves Mandy Forever. Their PR labels their music as indie emo, but while both parts of that label can be heard in the grooves (or bits) here, the band’s music goes beyond that emo part, as it moves into grunge, dream pop and shoegaze, often within a single track here.

And what could have turned into a mess, actually works quite well for lead singer and bassist Kalia Storer and her crew, as the songwriting, playing and particularly Storer’s vocals work just fine here. It is loud, sometimes brash but all with charm and purpose. No mess here.