Pang | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 18, 2019 | |||
Recorded | 2016–2019 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 46:30 | |||
Label |
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Producer | ||||
Caroline Polachek chronology | ||||
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Singles from Pang | ||||
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Pang is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek, under her own 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.
"...The cover image on the ladder is was actually meant for the Ocean Of Tears single artwork. But as soon as I saw that photo I knew it had to be the album cover, so rearranged all the single artworks accordingly. It spoke to me because it captured this impossible mix of doubt and resolve. The hovering ladder in the sky feels like a kind of metaphor for the emotional survival that everyone is particpating [ sic ] in... we're always evolving, adapting, letting go of one thing and reaching for the next. Sometimes we look down... and sometimes we look up <3"
—Caroline Polachek on the Pang album cover image. [4]
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. [5] [6] Polachek started 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 is derived from "experiencing inexplicable adrenal rushes" that Polachek experienced "that stopped her from sleeping and accelerated her metabolism", which she referred to as "pangs". [7] 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." [8]
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. [9]
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", [10] hinting that the album could include more than eighteen 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." [11] Pitchfork listed the song at number 47 for the 100 best songs of 2019. [12]
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." [13]
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. [14] [15] 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. [16]
Pang is a pop, [17] indie pop, [18] experimental pop, [7] and avant-pop record, [19] influenced by ambient, new age, R&B, trap-pop, hip hop, trip hop, sophisti-pop, and classical music. [20] [21] [22] Its sound is described as "almost symphonic" and "blend[s] acoustic and synthetic textures into a surrealist yet affecting listen" [7] [20] 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." [23] Polachek utilizes "operatic" vocals on the record, which were described by Shaad D'Souza of The Guardian as "an alien take on Céline Dion". [24]
"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". [20] "Ocean of Tears" is a hip hop-tinged R&B track influenced by Kate Bush, Imogen Heap, and Annie Lennox. [21] [25] "Insomnia"'s "ecstatic aches" are reminisicent of Björk and Weyes Blood. [21] "Caroline Shut Up" takes influence from 1960s soul singers and doo-wop and is "equal parts seductive and bewildering". [18] [26] "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" is a "new wave masterpiece" that takes influence from 1980s pop and has been compared to the work of Haim. [21] [18]
Pang is a break-up album inspired by her divorce from husband of two years, Ian Drennen, six months into its production. [22] The album explores lyrical themes of "living unexpected dreams, getting away with something sneaky-fun, tears in public and in oceans" [20] and "love songs about the moment of surrender, the pain preceding it, and the euphoria after." [20] In "I Give Up", Polachek succumbs to an "apathetic kind of self defeat". [22] "Door" talks about "the disorienting and uniquely human feeling of blindly chasing a desire without knowing whether you will ever reach it." [27] "Parachute" is described as "the audio-equivalent of feeling like you're seconds away from death but have absolutely no problem with it." [26]
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10 [28] |
Metacritic | 82/100 [29] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Clash | 9/10 [26] |
Exclaim! | 8/10 [27] |
Financial Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Line of Best Fit | 9/10 [18] |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Observer | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 7.3/10 [20] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pang received a score of 82 out of 100 based on 14 critics on review aggregate site Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim". [29] 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." [30] Jack Bray of The Line of Best Fit called Pang a "remarkable debut album assured of its legitimacy and brilliance" [18]
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. [26] Katherine St. Asaph of Pitchfork also praised her "near-operatic vocalizations", "controlled vocal leaps, and precise staccato." [20] 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." [22] 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 [XCX]". [34]
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
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Crack | The Top 50 Albums of the Year | 44 | |
Dazed | The 20 Best Albums of 2019 | 1 | |
Double J | The 50 Best Albums of 2019 | 28 | |
Exclaim! | 20 Best Pop and Rock Albums of 2019 | 20 | |
The Fader | The Best Albums of 2019 | N/A | |
Good Morning America | 50 of the Best Albums of 2019 | 11 | |
Gorilla vs. Bear | Albums of 2019 | 20 | |
GQ Magazine | The Best Albums of 2019 | N/A | |
The Guardian | The 50 Best Albums of 2019 | 11 | |
The Independent | The 50 Best Albums of 2019 | 35 | |
Junkee | The 15 Best Albums of 2019 | N/A | |
The Line of Best Fit | The Best Albums of 2019 | 35 | |
Paper | Top 20 Albums of 2019 | 3 | |
Paste | The 50 Best Albums of 2019 | 37 | |
The 15 Best Pop Albums of 2019 | 3 | ||
PopMatters | The 70 Best Albums of 2019 | 45 | |
Q | 50 Albums of the Year 2019 | 21 | |
Under the Radar | Top 100 Albums of 2019 | 78 | |
Uproxx | The 35 Best Pop Albums of 2019 | 19 | |
Vice | The 100 Best Albums of 2019 | 41 | |
Vinyl Me, Please | The Best Albums of 2019 | N/A | |
The Young Folks | Top 50 Albums of 2019 | 22 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "The Gate" | Caroline Polachek | Polachek | 1:42 |
2. | "Pang" |
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| 3:33 |
3. | "New Normal" |
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| 2:34 |
4. | "Hit Me Where It Hurts" |
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| 3:04 |
5. | "I Give Up" |
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| 3:06 |
6. | "Look at Me Now" |
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| 3:03 |
7. | "Insomnia" |
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| 3:14 |
8. | "Ocean of Tears" |
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| 3:25 |
9. | "Hey Big Eyes" |
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| 3:54 |
10. | "Go as a Dream" |
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| 3:27 |
11. | "Caroline Shut Up" |
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| 3:32 |
12. | "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" |
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| 3:03 |
13. | "Door" |
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| 5:22 |
14. | "Parachute" |
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| 3:32 |
Total length: | 46:30 |
Notes
Chart (2019–2021) | Peak position |
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US Top Current Albums ( Billboard ) [57] | 95 |
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [58] | 17 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [59] | 40 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [60] | 4 |
On April 11, 2020, Polachek released a version of the album on Bandcamp featuring instrumental versions of every track. [61]
Standing at the Gate: Remix Collection | ||||
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Remix album by | ||||
Released | April 16, 2021 | |||
Length | 33:25 | |||
Label | Perpetual Novice | |||
Producer | ||||
Caroline Polachek chronology | ||||
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Singles from Standing at the Gate: Remix Collection | ||||
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Standing at the Gate: Remix Collection is a remix album by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek, released exclusively on vinyl on April 16, 2021 through Polachek's imprint Perpetual Novice. The collection features reworked versions of songs from her 2019 studio album Pang as well as a cover of "Breathless" by the Corrs.
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. [62] 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." [63] 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, including all of the prior remix singles except "Ocean of Tears". [64] A cover of "Breathless" by the Corrs was released on December 17, 2020. [65] On March 5, 2021 Polachek performed her cover of "Breathless" on The Late Late Show with James Corden . [66]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "The Gate" (Extended Mix) | Caroline Polachek |
| 10:02 |
2. | "New Normal" (Abnormal Mix) |
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| 2:39 |
3. | "Parachute" (Reverse Mix) |
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| 3:38 |
4. | "Door" (Oklou Remix) |
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| 3:21 |
5. | "Hit Me Where It Hurts" (Toro y Moi Remix) (featuring Chino Moreno) |
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| 3:26 |
6. | "Hey Big Eyes" (George Clanton Remix) | Polachek |
| 3:42 |
7. | "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" (A. G. Cook Remix) |
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| 3:35 |
8. | "Breathless" (Bonus Track) |
| 3:02 | |
Total length: | 33:25 |
Notes
Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and author. He is the guitarist, co-lead vocalist, main songwriter, co-founder, and the only constant member of Tears for Fears. He is also a producer of artists such as Oleta Adams. In 2014, Orzabal published his first novel, a romantic comedy.
"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" is the second single by American singer-actress Cher from her second album, The Sonny Side of Chér (1966). It was written by her husband Sonny Bono and released in 1966. The song reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week (behind "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" by The Righteous Brothers), eventually becoming one of Cher's biggest-selling singles of the 1960s.
Chairlift was an American synth-pop band formed by Caroline Polachek and Aaron Pfenning. They formed the band in 2005 while living in Boulder, Colorado, and Patrick Wimberly joined them when they moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 2007. The three released their debut album Does You Inspire You in 2008. Pfenning left the band in 2010, and the new duo released two more albums—2012's Something and 2016's Moth—before announcing the end of Chairlift in December 2016.
Charlotte Emma Aitchison, known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery by a promoter who invited her to perform at warehouse raves. In 2010, she signed a recording contract with Asylum Records, releasing a series of singles and mixtapes throughout 2011 and 2012.
Héloïse Adélaïde Letissier, known professionally as Christine and the Queens and Rahim C Redcar, is a French singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Nantes, he started learning piano at the age of four and found inspiration in one of London's clubs while studying. Letissier released a series of extended plays (EPs) throughout 2011–2013.
Caroline Elizabeth Polachek is an American singer, producer, and songwriter. Raised in Connecticut, Polachek cofounded the indie pop band Chairlift while studying at the University of Colorado. The duo emerged from the late-2000s Brooklyn music scene with the sleeper hit "Bruises". In 2014, she released her first solo project, Arcadia, as Ramona Lisa. Under CEP, she released Drawing the Target Around the Arrow in 2017.
Daniel Jack Eisner Harle is a British music producer and composer who records under the name Danny L Harle. He was formerly signed to the London-based PC Music label and is a member of Dux Content with A. G. Cook. He has produced, composed, and remixed music for a number of artists; most prominently, he executive produced Caroline Polachek's 2019 album Pang and 2023 album Desire, I Want to Turn Into You. He released his debut album Harlecore (2021) through the label Mad Decent, featuring collaborations with Polachek, Hudson Mohawke, and Lil Data.
Alexandra Drewchin, known professionally as Eartheater, is an American multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer and vocalist. Born in Pennsylvania to a Russian father and an English mother, she is currently based in Queens and has been performing since 2009. Her music has been released on independent labels Hausu Mountain and PAN.
"Door" is a song by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek from her third studio and major-label debut album Pang. It was released as the lead single from the album on June 19, 2019. Polachek's imprint label under The Orchard is called Perpetual Novice after a line in "Door". The song is the first release by Polachek under her own name, having previously released music under "Ramona Lisa", "CEP", and as part of the band "Chairlift". The song was written and produced by Polachek, Dan Nigro and Jim-E Stack and Danny L Harle. "Door" was released alongside a psychedelic-inspired music video.
Marylou Mayniel, better known by her stage name Oklou, is a French musician, singer, music producer, DJ, composer, and actress.
"Ocean of Tears" is a song by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek from her third studio album Pang. It was released as the second single from the album on July 24, 2019, the same day as "Parachute".
"So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" is a song by American singer Caroline Polachek from her third studio album Pang (2019). The song was released on September 16, 2019 through Perpetual Novice. It has been described as a new wave and indie pop track. While it did not chart at the time of its release, the song became a sleeper hit after it went viral on TikTok in early 2022.
Squirrel Flower is the stage name of American musician Ella O'Connor Williams.
The discography of American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek consists of four studio albums, one remix album, one instrumental album, two extended plays, 13 singles, and seven promotional singles. Polachek previously released music under the names Ramona Lisa and CEP, before releasing her debut album under her real name in 2019. She also issued three albums as a member of the band Chairlift, from 2008 to 2016.
"New Shapes" is a song by English singer Charli XCX, featuring French singer Christine and the Queens and American singer Caroline Polachek. It was released on 4 November 2021 as the second single from XCX's fifth studio album, Crash (2022). The song has been described as an '80s-inspired synth-pop, indie pop, and electro-funk track.
Crash is the fifth studio album by English singer Charli XCX, released on 18 March 2022. It was her last album to be released under her record contract with Asylum Records. Charli announced the album title, release date, and artwork on 4 November 2021. Her website was also updated with information about the album's 2022 tour. The album was preceded by the four singles "Good Ones", "New Shapes" featuring Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek, "Beg for You" featuring Rina Sawayama, "Baby" and two promotional singles, "Every Rule" and "Used to Know Me", the latter released as the fifth single in April 2022.
"Billions" is a song by American singer-songwriter and record producer Caroline Polachek. It was released on February 9, 2022 as the second single from Polachek's fourth album, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You (2023).
Desire, I Want to Turn Into You is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek, under her own name. It was released on February 14, 2023, by Sony Music, The Orchard, and Polachek's imprint Perpetual Novice. Polachek produced most of the album alongside Danny L Harle.
"Welcome to My Island" is a song by American singer-songwriter and record producer Caroline Polachek. It was released on December 5, 2022 through Perpetual Novice as the fourth single from Polachek's fourth album, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You (2023).
The Spiraling Tour was the third headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek, in support of her fourth studio album, and second under her name, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You (2023). The tour began on 10 February 2023 in Brighton, England, and concluded on 13 December 2023 in Brisbane, Australia.