PasCal 'Oh Honey Were Ridiculous EP' album

Detroit's pop ensemble, Pas/Cal may be a group of oddballs but they have an appreciation for beautiful pop songs that have consistent changes and elegant melodies.

Signed to Le Grand Magistery (once home to Momus, Stars, and Toog), Pas/cal first gained critical acclaim with their debut EP "The Handbag Memoirs". Pas/Cal's brand new follow up EP "Oh Honey, We're Ridiculous" is an almost perfect mini-album filled with beautiful melodies and intelligent lyrics. While their influences range from The Beatles to The Smiths, many critics refer to them as the American version of Pulp while others consider them the American version of Belle & Sebastian. With lush strings and guitars, hard-hitting and energetic drums, dreamy high-pitched vocals, and a sense of humor, Pas/Cal has just released a 5-song EP that is highly addictive and deliciously erudite.

"What Happened To The Sands" is an energetic and somewhat of an anthem about the dissolution of structures or places that are or have been important to people. Even though the Sands Hotel & Casino is a specific place, it represents a place that we loved but is now gone. The epic Brit-pop handclaps kick the song off and Casimer Pascal's soft voice glides instantly as the song takes off. Pascal sings, "....What happened to the Sands Hotel / What happened to the women who would scream and yell / Pleading 'Mama needs some new clothes!' ... " Pascal continues, "... There is concrete and dirt / Where it once stood / And where it once stood, you stood..." The drums (by LTD) consistently change and are played with the same passion and intensity of Colm O'Ciosoig of My Bloody Valentine. The many changes to the structure make this somewhat unconventional but the song remains not only extremely catchy but also wonderfully addictive. "What Happened To The Sands" displays how tight and together the band are. With the many changes and instruments, Pas/Cal make the complicated patterns sound easy. The song will stick in your head and deserves many repeated listens.

"Poor Maude" is much more mellow but has the same unconventional structure. Instead of a verse-chorus, verse-chorus, bridge-chorus structure, Pas/Cal's songs go off in subtle different directions creating little, elegant changes. "Poor Maude" is about the oldest woman in the world who is 115 years old. Casimer sings, "...Poor Maude, she's 115 / This year with her hand in her mouth / It's no celebration / Her drooling mug is on every station..." He sings about how Maude is basically sick of living and exploited as she is interviewed for television. "Poor Maude" is a perfect example of how some songs can still be extremely effective without rhyming lyrics. As the story is told through song, the lyrics (sung by Casimer) never sound out of place or forced. The music perfectly complements both the sound of the vocals and the actual lyrics. Towards the end of the song, the elegant guitar work eventually turns into a controlled cacophonic experience that is started and stopped a couple of times. Like the other songs, "Poor Maude" eventually builds up to an important and emotional crescendo where Maude hopes for a bad cold or to be hit by an automobile. "Poor Maude" is an exceptional track that has the sympathy that The Beatles had mixed in with the cynicism of Pulp and the perversity of The Auteurs.

"The Handbag Memoirs" is a slow/mid-temp acoustic dream that softly glides over melodic hills. Although Pas/Cal's debut EP was titled "The Handbag Memoirs", the actual song appears on this EP. It is a wonderful song about going through your girlfriend's private stuff. Casimer sings, "...Let's spill it out on your brother's bed / Some crumpled notes you said you never should have read..." While it does not have the many subtle changes as the previous tracks, the elegance is very enjoyable. Bem's buoyant background pitch-perfect vocals ("Bah-Bah Bop Bah - Bah-Bah Bop-Bah") are reminiscent of the melodic vocals of Stereolab and Lush. Towards the end, Casimer learns a lesson as he repeats: "Some things you carry on your shoulder far too long." A somewhat perverse yet beautiful track that is in the center of the EP, "The Handbag Memoirs" is a pure pop masterpiece.

"Bem, Please Come Home" is an instrumental track that they wish could be in a fictional Wes Anderson film. Visually, the song could have been in "The Royal Tenenbaums". Bem, who handles the background vocals and handclaps, must travel long distances and is sometimes away from the group for long periods of time. With high-pitched guitar notes swirling and ascending, the instrumental elegantly floats. Even though it is short and sweet, the song is not as powerful as the previous songs on the album or the instrumental on their previous EP.

"What Do American Girls Have On Jennifer Jo Jo?" closes the EP with a 6-minute long doo-wop inspired epic. Starting off quiet and sweet, the swirling guitar and echoed guitar complement each other well. Casimer sings, "...Jennifer Jo Jo / What do you know about this world? / And why would you think it's any better than / Your Tiananmen Sqaure? / Oh, Jo Jo, don't you know? / The same things happen here / Where people are rude and cruel and they all love to stare at you..." Eventually, the crescendo comes and the song becomes quite loud. The narrator has compassion and even a bit of sarcasm, which makes the song delicious. It is a grand track that finishes off the EP in a perfect way. While the song does not instantly satisfy like the first 3 tracks, it will grow on the listener.

"Oh Honey, We're Ridiculous" EP by Pas/Cal is an elegant, poignant, and intelligent EP. There is so much going on in every song due to changes, melodies, and different instruments. They all are tightly wrapped together within a somewhat unconventional pop song structure. Although they do not follow the standard pop song structure, the songs all stick inside the listener's head and become extremely addictive. It is hard to believe that this group is from Detroit, Michigan since their music sounds like Pulp. This is music for upper / middle class intelligent people who like good clothes, good conversation, good food, good music, and good company. It is also interesting that both EPs have naked people on the cover. On the front cover of "The Handbag Memoirs" EP, there is a naked woman serving the band food while on this one, there is a chest of a headless skinny naked man while the band is in a library. While "The Handbag Memoirs" EP was only slightly catchier, "Oh Honey, We're Ridiculous" is almost perfect. One main difference is that there are less romantic lyrics on this EP even though all of their music sounds very romantic. Casimer Pascal's production techniques are incredibly astute. Every instrument is clear and loud while both the lead and backing vocals are perfectly lush and graceful. If this EP is just an appetizer, their upcoming full-length album should an amazing entr?e. This EP has the elegance and sexy feel of Pulp, the empathetic sadness and pop sensibility of Television Personalities, the attitude of The Auteurs, the femininity of Belle & Sebastian and The Smiths, and the unique references and literate humor of Momus. The only thing ridiculous about Pas/Cal's "Oh Honey, We're Ridiculous" EP is that it will stay in your CD player forever and be listened to constantly.

9 out of 10

Review by Todd E. Jones

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PasCal - Oh Honey Were Ridiculous EP