Pang (album)

Pang is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek and debut under her given name.[1] It was released by Sony Music, The Orchard, and Polachek's imprint Perpetual Novice on October 18, 2019.[2][3] The album received critical acclaim from and was placed on several critics' year-end lists, topping Dazed's list. Commercially, Pang peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart and number 40 on the Independent Albums chart, making it Polachek's first charting solo album. A remix album, Standing at the Gate: Remix Collection, is set for release on March 1, 2021.

Pang
Studio album by
Caroline Polachek
ReleasedOctober 18, 2019
Recorded2016–2019
Genre
Length46:30
Label
Producer
Caroline Polachek chronology
Drawing the Target Around the Arrow
(2017)		 Pang
(2019)		 Standing at the Gate: Remix Collection
(2020)
Singles from Pang
  1. "Door"
    Released: June 19, 2019
  2. "Ocean of Tears"
    Released: July 24, 2019
  3. "Parachute"
    Released: July 24, 2019
  4. "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings"
    Released: September 16, 2019
  5. "Look at Me Now"
    Released: October 14, 2019

Background and recording

In 2017, Polachek began working frequently with PC Music producers Danny L Harle and A. G. Cook after the dissolution of her band Chairlift. She appeared on Harle's single "Ashes of Love" back in 2016, and she also began collaborating with him and Cook in contributions with other artists, such as Superfruit and Charli XCX.[4][5] In 2017 she partnered with Harle in Los Angeles with the intent of pitching songs to Katy Perry. A magic mushroom trip convinced Polachek to start working on her own material, which was originally going to be a "warmer, auburn, folk-tinged, peaceful album" called Calico. When the two began work on the project they "came up with something that overshadowed Calico and kickstarted a fruitful collaboration". The title Pang comes from "experiencing inexplicable adrenal rushes" that Polachek experienced "that stopped her from sleeping and accelerated her metabolism", which she referred to as "pangs".[6] In an interview with Dazed, Polachek revealed what it was like to work with a range of different people, noting that "Working with different artists is always a learning experience, a new skill for the tool belt, even when it's more about realising what doesn't work." She elaborated, saying that she feels more in control of the things she writes and produces, and that she's "...Ultimately the one in control, the one who is filtering and controlling the palette in real time. I don't leave it up to someone else. It's actually more and more liberating to just get in and start making stuff."[7] Throughout the duration of 2018, Polachek shared a number of images of her in the studio to record material and hinted at the possibility of working on an album in their captions.[8]

Singles

In 2019, Polachek released the album's lead single "Door", which was the first to be released under her own name (she previously released music under the names 'Ramona Lisa' and 'CEP').[1] It was also accompanied by a music video, directed by Polachek herself alongside London-based artist Matt Copson. The song was revealed by a press release as "the first taste of a forthcoming, larger solo project from Caroline to be released later this year."[9] rumouring further that the album could possibly have more than over 18 tracks. In an interview with Vogue, Polachek expressed her surprise that her label was happy to lead with "Door" as the first single, explaining "it's such a long and winding song. There are songs on the record that are a bit more twisty and moody. And this one feels like, no pun intended, an open door. It feels like an invitation."[10] Pitchfork listed the song at number 47 for the 100 best songs of 2019.[11]

The following month, she announced that she was to release two more cuts from the album "Ocean of Tears" and "Parachute". With their release sparked the announcement of the album, under the title Pang and its scheduled release period of sometime in fall of 2019. Polachek made both records with Danny L Harle, the sometime collaborator with Charli XCX and Carly Rae Jepsen. A. G. Cook also contributed production to "Ocean of Tears", alongside Valley Girl. Of the song "Parachute", Polachek said in a press release, "It was an incredible moment, realizing that this melody we'd written was unintentionally re-telling a dream I'd been shaken by. I went home, re-drafted the words to fit, and came back to the studio at 1 am to record the vocal the same day. And that's the take we kept. From that moment on, Dan and I knew we had a lot more work to do together."[12]

In September 2019, she released the album's fourth single "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings", which was co-written with Daniel Nigro and Teddy Geiger.[13][14] Consequence of Sound reviewed the track with the statement, "While previous tracks "Parachute" and "Ocean of Tears" served up ethereal tones, "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" has a little more pep in its step. With a hint of an '80s pop vibe, Polachek's vocals ping-pong off the synths as she sings the refrain".[2] Around the same time, Polachek announced the album's release date of October 18, 2019.[2]

"Look at Me Now" was released as the final pre-release single on October 14, 2019. The acoustic ballad is described as the "diary entry" of the album that Polachek wrote "while processing a mix of guilt, self-destructiveness, and hope." The song was inspired by Lilith Fair artists like Jewel and Sarah McLachlan.[15]

Composition

Pang is a pop,[16] indie pop[17] and experimental pop[6] album influenced by ambient, new age, R&B, trap-pop, hip-hop, trip hop, sophisti-pop, and classical music[18][19][20] Its sound is described as "almost symphonic" and "blend[s] acoustic and synthetic textures into a surrealist yet affecting listen" [6][18] The album exists in a space in between moody electronica and upbeat pop. As Mark Moody of No Ripcord put it, "best listened to sad and lonely in your bedroom, Pang is the perfect dance album for smart and sensitive boys and girls after their day’s journaling are done."[21]

"New Normal" shifts between different keys and features "a conspicuously yeehaw opening of slide guitar to an almost dancehall beat to sputtering percussion and vocal clips from hip-hop".[18] "Ocean of Tears" is an hip-hop-tinged R&B track influenced by Kate Bush, Imogen Heap, and Annie Lennox.[19][22] "Insomnia"'s "ecstatic aches" are reminiscent of Björk and Weyes Blood[19] "Caroline Shut Up" takes influence from 60s soul singers and doo-wop and is "equal parts seductive and bewildering".[17][23] "So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings" is a "new wave masterpiece" that takes influence from 80s pop and has been compared to the work of Haim[19][17]

Pang is a break-up album inspired by her divorce from husband of two years Ian Drennen six months into its production.[20] The album explores lyrical themes of "living unexpected dreams, getting away with something sneaky-fun, tears in public and in oceans"[18] and "love songs about the moment of surrender, the pain preceding it, and the euphoria after."[18] In "I Give Up", Polachek succumbs to an "apathetic kind of self defeat" [20] "Door" talks about "the disorienting and uniquely human feeling of blindly chasing a desire without knowing whether you will ever reach it."[24] "Parachute" is described as "the audio-equivalent of feeling like you’re seconds away from death but have absolutely no problem with it," [23]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.9/10[25]
Metacritic82/100[26]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[27]
Clash9/10[23]
Exclaim!8/10[24]
Financial Times[28]
The Guardian[20]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[17]
NME[29]
The Observer[19]
Pitchfork7.3/10[18]
Q[30]

Pang received a score of 82 out of 100 based on 14 critics on review aggregate site Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim".[26] In a review for AllMusic, Matt Collar suggested that, "[Caroline] Polachek further distills her approach with a collection of deeply emotive songs that showcase her delicate vocals and intricate pop sensibilities" with "arrangements that straddle the line between moody electronica and adult contemporary pop."[27] Jack Bray of The Line of Best Fit called Pang a "remarkable debut album assured of its legitimacy and brilliance"[17] Nick Lowe of Clash referred to the album as "fresh and ethereal" and a synthesis of Polachek's previous work, saying it combined "the playfulness of Chairlift, the theatricality of Ramona Lisa and the futuristic glimpses of CEP." Lowe also commended her "staggering" and "heavenly" vocals.[23] Katherine St. Asaph of Pitchfork also praised her "near-operatic vocalizations", "controlled vocal leaps, and precise staccato."[18] Ben Thomas of The Guardian praised the album's lyrics about break-ups, saying that "Caroline Shut Up" in particular "lets you right inside her lustful waltz-time neuroses."[20] Tiny Mix Tapes's Reggie MT referred to the album "an absolute triumph of 'expressionist storybook goth' that recalls the great emotive artists in pop and New Age history, from Elizabeth Fraser to Imogen Heap, Enya to her (our) girl Charli".[31]

Year-end lists
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Crack The Top 50 Albums of the Year
44
[32]
Dazed The 20 Best Albums of 2019
1
[33]
Double J The 50 Best Albums of 2019
28
[34]
Exclaim! 20 Best Pop and Rock Albums of 2019
20
[35]
The Fader The Best Albums of 2019
N/A
[36]
Good Morning America 50 of the Best Albums of 2019
11
[37]
Gorilla vs. Bear Albums of 2019
20
[38]
GQ Magazine The Best Albums of 2019
N/A
[39]
The Guardian The 50 Best Albums of 2019
11
[40]
The Independent The 50 Best Albums of 2019
35
[41]
Junkee The 15 Best Albums of 2019
N/A
[42]
The Line of Best Fit The Best Albums of 2019
35
[43]
Paper Top 20 Albums of 2019
3
[44]
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2019
37
[45]
The 15 Best Pop Albums of 2019
3
[46]
PopMatters The 70 Best Albums of 2019
45
[47]
Q 50 Albums of the Year 2019
21
[48]
Under the Radar Top 100 Albums of 2019
78
[49]
Uproxx The 35 Best Pop Albums of 2019
19
[50]
Vice The 100 Best Albums of 2019
41
[51]
Vinyl Me, Please The Best Albums of 2019
N/A
[52]
The Young Folks Top 50 Albums of 2019
22
[53]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Gate"Caroline PolachekPolachek1:42
2."Pang"
3:33
3."New Normal"
  • Polachek
  • Harle
  • Polachek
  • Harle
2:34
4."Hit Me Where It Hurts"
  • Polachek
  • Wyatt
3:04
5."I Give Up"
3:06
6."Look at Me Now"
  • Polachek
  • Harle
  • Nigro
  • Polachek
  • Nigro
  • Harle
3:03
7."Insomnia"
  • Polachek
  • Harle
  • Polachek
  • Harle
3:14
8."Ocean of Tears"
  • Polachek
  • Nathaniel Campany
  • Kyle Shearer
3:25
9."Hey Big Eyes"Polachek
  • Polachek
  • Cook
3:54
10."Go as a Dream"
  • Polachek
  • Harle
  • Carey
3:27
11."Caroline Shut Up"
  • Polachek
  • Harle
  • Polachek
  • Harle
3:32
12."So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings"
  • Polachek
  • Nigro
3:03
13."Door"
  • Polachek
  • Nigro
  • Stack
  • Harle
  • Polachek
  • Nigro
  • Stack
  • Harle[a]
5:22
14."Parachute"
  • Polachek
  • Harle
  • Polachek
  • Harle
3:32
Total length:46:30

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies an additional producer

Charts
Chart (2019) Peak
position
US Top Current Albums (Billboard)[54] 95
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[55] 17
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[56] 40

Instrumental album

On April 11, 2020, Polachek released a version of the album on Bandcamp featuring instrumental versions of every track.[57]

Remix album
Standing at the Gate: Remix Collection
Remix album by
Caroline Polachek
ReleasedMarch 1, 2021
LabelPerpetual Novice
Producer
Caroline Polachek chronology
Pang
(2019)		 Standing at the Gate: Remix Collection
(2021)
Singles from Standing at the Gate: Remix Collection
  1. "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings (A. G. Cook Remix)"
    Released: December 18, 2019
  2. "The Gate (Extended Mix)"
    Released: October 19, 2020
  3. "Hey Big Eyes (George Clanton Remix)"
    Released: December 9, 2020
  4. "Hit Me Where It Hurts (Toro y Moi Remix)"
    Released: December 9, 2020
  5. "Door (Oklou Remix)"
    Released: December 9, 2020
  6. "Breathless"
    Released: December 17, 2020

Standing at the Gate: Remix Collection is an upcoming remix album by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek. Planned for release digitally on March 1, 2021 and on vinyl on April 16, 2021 through Polachek's imprint Perpetual Novice, the album will feature reworked versions of songs from her 2019 studio album Pang as well as a cover of "Breathless" by The Corrs.[58][59]

Release and singles

On December 18, 2019, a remix of "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" by A. G. Cook was released as a stand-alone single.[60] To celebrate the album's one year anniversary on October 19, 2020, Polachek released a ten minute long extended mix of "The Gate", featuring a visualizer by Ezra Miller. She called the new mix "a sort of parallel universe or alternate ending, where those words not only arrive, but ring true."[61] On December 9, 2020, Polachek released remixes of "Ocean of Tears", "Hey Big Eyes", "Hit Me Where It Hurts", and "Door" as digital singles. On the same day she announced the remix album, where all of the prior remix singles except "Ocean of Tears".[58] A cover of "Breathless" by The Corrs was released on December 17, 2020.[62]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Gate" (Extended Mix)Caroline Polachek
10:02
2."New Normal" (Abnormal Mix)   
3."Parachute" (Reverse Mix)   
4."Door" (Oklou Remix)
3:21
5."Hit Me Where It Hurts" (Toro y Moi Remix) (featuring Chino Moreno)
  • Polachek
  • Wyatt
  • Toro y Moi[c]
3:26
6."Hey Big Eyes" (George Clanton Remix)Polachek
3:42
7."So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" (A. G. Cook Remix)
  • Polachek
  • Nigro
  • Cook[c]
3:35
8."Breathless" (Bonus Track)
Harle3:02

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies an additional producer
  • ^[c] signifies a remix producer

References
  1. "Caroline Polachek – "Door"". Stereogum. June 19, 2019.
  2. "Caroline Polachek confirms Pang release date, shares "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings": Stream". Consequence of Sound. September 16, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  3. @carolineplz (October 7, 2019). "Pang LP now available to pre-order / On clear gold-streaked vinyl with double sided poster / Designed by @tmthyluke / Excited to announce I've switched lanes within the Sony family to release Pang via The Orchard under my own imprint, Perpetual Novice 🗝" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. "Caroline Polachek, Danny L Harle Team With Superfruit (Pentatonix) for TK". Pitchfork.
  5. "Charli XCX drops new mixtape Pop2: Stream/download". Consequence of Sound. December 15, 2017.
  6. Snapes, Laura (October 17, 2019). "Caroline Polachek: 'Women in music are taught that once you're 35, you've expired'". The Guardian. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  7. "Caroline Polachek is taking control of her own narrative". Dazeddigital.com. May 22, 2018.
  8. @carolineplz (April 4, 2018). "Whole lot of this at the moment" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. Sicurella, Savannah (June 19, 2019). "Caroline Polachek, Formerly of Chairlift, Releases First Proper Solo Track, "Door"". Paste.
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  11. "The 100 Best Songs of 2019". Pitchfork. December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  12. Monroe, Jazz (July 24, 2019). "Chairlift's Caroline Polachek Announces New Album Pang, Shares 2 Songs: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
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  14. "ACE Repertory".
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