Pang (2019)

Pang is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek, and her first album released under her own name. It was released by Polachek's imprint Perpetual Novice on October 18, 2019. The album received critical acclaim 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.

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. 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". 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."

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.

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). 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", 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." Pitchfork listed the song at number 47 for the 100 best songs of 2019.

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."

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. 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". Around the same time, Polachek announced the album's release date of October 18, 2019.

"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.