Reviews of Stalemates & Sad Pastimes

"If judging by song titles alone, the Pangs' Stalemates & Sad Pastimes would be Album of the Year. 'Please Send Me Knives,' 'Predilections & Pills,' and 'Smoking Gun Club' are just a few of the clever, eye-catching names that make you want to devote some serious time to this delightful disc. Song titles aside, this 12-track, 32-minute stunner warrants equal praise for its strong melodies and compact song structures.

Matt Mair Lowery has a voice very remniscent of a less bitter Elvis Costello and the music he creates owes a deep debt to British artists ranging from latter-era Jam to Costello himself, especially on the sharp, detail-oriented 'Funeral Girls' and the brief blast of 'Career Suicide,' which is anything but. The jagged stomp of 'What Will Become Of Us Tomorrow' kicks off an energetic trio of hard-surging numbers which end the album all too soon and brings to mind Bowie in his early 70's glam glory. Despite the strength of the more upbeat material, it is on the more leisurely paced songs where Lowery is best able to work his melancholy magic, particularly on the surf-y 'Palms God Gave' and 'Soap Operas For Boys,' owner of one of the most gorgeous, eminently hummable choruses heard in some time.

If you have a hankering for well-crafted music with a depressive streak and don't have a lot of time to wallow, reach for the Pangs' Stalemates & Sad Pastimes and revel in its pensive glory."
-From NW-Radio

"There's something to be said for a band that knows when to quit. With 12 songs clocking in at a taut 32 minutes, Portland, OR, quartet Pangs operate with the efficiency of indie-pop marines, striking hard and fast with smart, surgical strikes of hooky goodness that don't stick around to mingle... 'Palms God Gave' is total doo-wop, sock-hop, malt-shoppe pop/rock splendor with a little country shuffle, while 'Spines (x & y)' is a short indie-acoustic sketch of a song that shows promise. Stalemates & Sad Pastimes mixes Koufax-style chamber-rock with a little of Hawksley Workman's cabaret showmanship. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it's curiously compelling stuff."
-Excerpt from Splendid (read the entire review here.)

"There’s something surprising about the fact that Stalemates & Sad Pastimes was a fall/winter release. Its bouncing melodies, animated drumming, and silly, charming lyrics collectively scream 'summertime.' Even its white and hot-orange album art hints at warmer weather. It’s not difficult to envisage sun-tanned teenagers across America listening to this, Pangs’ first full-length, on their way to a friends house or to the beach to lounge on the sand. 'Way Wrong Love' could be perfect for a cheerful bout of beach volleyball in the sun, busty blondes in bikinis abound; 'Sad Pastime,' with its insistent guitars and aggressive drumming (compared to the rest of Stalemates & Sad Pastimes), seems perfect for an intense game of whiffleball in the park; 'Funeral Girls' would be appropriate for the defeat that follows.

The similitude of Stalemates & Sad Pastimes to Very Emergency-era Promise Ring is clear, with its upbeat sound, its lyrics about girls, sex, and loss, and its status as a relatively catchy and enjoyable record that doesn’t try to be anything more. Call this the resort-wear of indie-rock, for boys and girls who don’t seem to want to let those last rays of summer’s sunshine fade."
-Lost At Sea

"Portland, Oregon-based indie-rock outfit Pangs deliver a solid debut with Stalemates & Sad Pastimes, a record that captures the care-free, do-it-for-yourself rock attitude of 80s college rock, setting the fire underneath themselves with that post-punk momentum, while playing strongly to their modern day indie-rock leanings.
Pangs have fun with their influences, at times focusing on more flourishing pop melodies. While other times they are more content writing loose, seemingly meandering indie rock nuggets.

It is these two sides that make the band's sound seem fresh and intriguing, as they deliver jangle-y, bouncy pop goodness that kids who like toe-tapping beats will smile about, but indie kids won't ignore, either. I'll give it a B-."
-In Music We Trust

"The Pangs is Matt Mair Lowery, the guy who brought you later editions of our Under The Radar column. Apparently he learned a lot about what pitfalls to avoid in homemade recordings by listening to so many of those CDs. #1, he relinquished production control to his pal Kyle Sheaffer at their Studio Neal (which is a pretty nifty basement studio), where Kyle got some darn good sounds. #2, you can hear his influences (Spoon, GBV, Elvis Costello) and you're thankful his songs hold up on their own. #3, vocals are loud and clear, none of this "I'm embarrassed to to be hearing my own voice" indie-rock bullshit here. #4, the packaging looks good and clean, no clutter or in-joke photos needed. I like this record. Mastered at SuperDigital by local hero Jeff Saltzman."
-Tape Op

"Cleverly written, catchy pop songs and smart-guy poetry indicate that Matt Mair Lowery is no fool. He knows the importance of hooks and he knows how to write them (musically and lyrically). He knows which times are the right times to let his voice break and which times are the right times to croon. He’s not afraid of falsetto. He’s not afraid of appearing vulnerable. And… he knows how to pen lyrics that make chicks like me think he’s brainy."
-Excerpt from Portland Online MusicNet (read the entire review).

"Thoroughly listenable - and thoroughly enjoyable - collection of angst-rock compositions. Matt Mair Lowery and his Pangs cohorts, drummer Justin Johnson and bassist Nathan Ruckman, keep it simple - in their sparse arrangements nothing is wasted and everything counts.

Musically there's faint echoes of early Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello, but Lowery is no imitator - he's an inventive songwriter who keeps it interesting both lyrically and melodically. My favorite cuts are the stark acoustic guitar-driven "Funeral Girls" and the cryptic "Palms Gods Gave" on which guest guitarist Kyle Sheaffer plays just the right notes in just the right places.

Be forewarned: Lowery's voice takes a little getting used to - he sounds like a less tuneful version of that guy in the Cars - but any vocal shortcomings are more than made up for by the sharp songwriting and great playing. I really, really like the drumming. A guy named Lance Workman sits in on a few tracks. Both he and regular drummer Johnson are almost Ringo-ish in their succinct time keeping. Even the cover art is a masterpiece of effective simplicity. Highly recommended."
-Norman Famous

"4 Stars: As you might of guessed, Pangs play indie rock that reminds me quite a bit of good old fashioned pop rock played on AM radio, but unlike the current big hitters of this style (like APPLES IN STEREO), the music of Pangs does not have the feel of a painstakingly constructed tribute. Instead, the songs on Stalemates and Sad Pastimes (Panther Fact) sound more like a quiet nod to the 60s/70s, as if to say, 'Yeah, thanks for some ideas, but here's where we're really going with this.'"
-Excerpt from South Of Mainstream.