RG3k
PAS/CALOh Honey, We're Ridiculous EP[Le Grand Magistery; 2004]Rating: 7.9Those early adopters along Madison Avenue are now so on top of things that an indie pop band can get into a Saturn advertisement on the strength of its first EP. This may get the hand-wringers in a bind, but for PAS/CAL and "The Bronze Beached Boys (Come On Let's Go)"-- the standout track from 2003's The Handbag Memoirs EP-- it's a well-deserved, welcome opportunity for their summery, refined sounds to reach a wider audience. That track's lazy, hazy plea to leave your notebooks at home and "be leaves pushed by the breeze" perfectly captures the band's optimistic, open-armed approach to blissed-out pop.
That approach is delightfully continued on the Detroit band's second EP, the five-track Oh Honey, We're Ridiculous. While many indie poppers stroll down the dead ends of traditionalism, aiming to either soothe the bruised souls of bedsit lonelyhearts or put the skip in your step with unabashed summery hooks, PAS/CAL manages to do a bit of both with panache and intelligence to spare. The band's kaleidoscopic arrangements and deft tempo changes waft and swirl, nicely framing Casimer Pascal's soaring, feather-light falsetto but still allowing it plenty of room for acrobatics and elegance. Not many bands can sashay from Morricone to doo-wop in less than a minute without snapping necks, but PAS/Cal manage the trick on "What Do the American Girls Have on Jennifer JoJo?".
They'll likely receive more than enough comparisons to the Beach Boys (as well as contemporaries such as The Shins), but that sort of misses the mark. From pensive opener "What Happened to the Sands"-- which starts with a few melodic tugs before accelerating into a whipsmart frenzy-- to "The Handbag Memoirs" and its acoustic approximation the low-rent style of His 'n' Hers-era Pulp, PAS/CAL sounds more like the humid haze of summer dusk rather than the scorching heat. Fittingly, then, Oh Honey is full of missed opportunities and haunts from the past, moments in which the sun is set and yet one can still feel its heat. From PAS/CAL's lament at the loss of the Sands Hotel and the exploitation of the 115-year old "Poor Maude", to a girlfriend's handbag full of "notes [written] without me in mind" and a litany of musical references, there's a tangible friction between the past and present. Which is just as well, because after two EPs of grandiose, warm pop, PAS/CAL shouldn't be wary of their future.
-Scott Plagenhoef, March 4th, 2004
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/p/pas-cal/oh-honey-were-ridiculous.shtml
― robotgirl3000, Monday, 19 April 2004 00:02 (twenty-two years ago)
― cutty (mcutt), Monday, 19 April 2004 00:04 (twenty-two years ago)
Perfect time of year for them as well. Sunny stuff.
― Evanston Wade (EWW), Monday, 19 April 2004 00:22 (twenty-two years ago)
― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Monday, 19 April 2004 00:23 (twenty-two years ago)
― Dave Segal (Da ve Segal), Monday, 19 April 2004 01:41 (twenty-two years ago)
― davechapelle, Monday, 19 April 2004 01:53 (twenty-two years ago)
― the surface noise (electricsound), Monday, 19 April 2004 02:03 (twenty-two years ago)
― keith m (keithmcl), Monday, 19 April 2004 03:54 (twenty-two years ago)
OK, so I’m a bit biased b/c of personal connections, but can't say I’ve heard a finer slab of pop confection* in a while. The drum sound alone makes it worthwhile. Given their standards, I suspect that the full-length will be equally memorable.
*perhaps a misnomer, considering how deceptively complex the arrangement is.
Here is a link to the PF review from last Friday: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/tracks/05-05-20.shtml
And, if you like, a higher quality MP3 can be found here: http://s8.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=139KP7GKRBUVL0GP4OOF3QT1LR
― Steve Gertz (sgertz), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)
― keith m (keithmcl), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 02:03 (twenty-one years ago)
BTW, I'm afraid that full-length won't be coming along for a few more months.
― Steve Gertz (sgertz), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 02:13 (twenty-one years ago)
love sean's artwork as well. his posters are just as nice as the sleeves, if not better.
― rajeev (rajeev), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 02:39 (twenty-one years ago)
also, one of the band guys, i forget what instrument is SO SO HOT
― phil-two (phil-two), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 06:14 (twenty-one years ago)
― Kevin H (Kevin H), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 14:31 (twenty-one years ago)
Supposedly, Craig and the gang's storied debut LP actually came out today, but I still won't believe it until I have the physical copy in my hands. Has anyone heard it yet? If so, what say you? The baroque-pop masterpiece of the decade, or overbaked twee-prog? Somewhere in between? I'm tempted to download it, but I think I'm going to wait until I can get my hands on a vinyl and have a proper home-stereo, big-headphones inaugural listen.
― Pillbox, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 23:13 (seventeen years ago)
FYI: It debuted on eMusic today. Haven't listed to the samples yet, tho.
― Daniel, Esq., Tuesday, 22 July 2008 23:56 (seventeen years ago)
it's great, yes
― cutty, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 13:33 (seventeen years ago)
yep, great all the way through. best pop rock record of the year -- can't imagine anything else coming close.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 14:12 (seventeen years ago)
I'm not feelin' it from the :30 samples, but maybe I just have a tin ear.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 23 July 2008 14:15 (seventeen years ago)
dunno, it might not be your cup of tea, but i'd say that 30 second samples wouldn't give you the best impression. the songs are actually super complex, despite remaining, at heart, pop songs.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 14:23 (seventeen years ago)
I like The Beach Boys. And power pop (e.g., Big Star; The New Pornographers), if that helps.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 23 July 2008 14:24 (seventeen years ago)
the ra ra riot album is better
― cutty, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 14:25 (seventeen years ago)
it's a bit of a mess. too long, whistle solos-yikes!-, wanky guitar, and his voice is strangely unappealing when on the earlier records it was the highlight. a major disappointment.
― keythkeyth, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 17:05 (seventeen years ago)
Tyler, OTM - I still haven't heard this but, based on the rest of their material, I believe it would be nigh impossible to "get it" from 30-second samples. Their songs tend to have narrative arcs, leitmotifs and shit like that.
― Pillbox, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 17:10 (seventeen years ago)
Wow.
best pop rock record of the year - can't imagine anything else coming close. vs. a major disappointment. = Con-tro-ver-sy!
I think I can get behind a good whistle solo now and again, as long as it is done for the right reasons.
― Pillbox, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 17:15 (seventeen years ago)
Yeah, I'm really interested in hearing this. I really like "You Were Too Old For Me."
― Tape Store, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 17:16 (seventeen years ago)
Do they still sound like Of Montreal?
― jaymc, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 17:17 (seventeen years ago)
Of Montreal sounds like Pas/Cal
― Pillbox, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 17:19 (seventeen years ago)
i don't think all that much of this. it sounds overworked and the tunes are thinner than the arrangements would like you to believe. it's like a pale version of zumpano
― electricsound, Thursday, 24 July 2008 04:30 (seventeen years ago)
A few listens in now and I'm struggling to enjoy this record... not a good sign.
― pgwp, Thursday, 7 August 2008 01:38 (seventeen years ago)
i wonder what the demos sounded like, there hardly seems to be a memorable melody to be found on the record aside from the songs that were released previously. 'you were too old for me' is the only good new song and even it is not as good as any of the songs from the previous eps. the new version of 'citizen's army uniform' is frighteningly awful.
― keythkeyth, Thursday, 7 August 2008 02:11 (seventeen years ago)
http://casimercasimir.bandcamp.com/
― tylerw, Tuesday, 8 November 2011 20:25 (fourteen years ago)
still really like this band (pas/cal, that is), my wife and i were listening to them over the weekend. wondered why they weren't more acclaimed, they seem so much better than a lot of similarly styled acts. super precious but in a good way. the full-length, when it finally arrived, was a little overstuffed w/ ideas, but still great.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 8 November 2011 20:26 (fourteen years ago)