Pang!

The poetry of Gruff’s lyricism is second to none. His ability to flit from language to language between projects, expressing himself with elegance and eloquence in either, is not only an enviable talent but a unique one.

These worries are dressed with music at peace with itself and its surroundings, making as much resourceful use of digital and electronic possibilities in an intimate studio setting as previous album Frontier Man did with an orchestra.

The songs are sturdily written, clever tunes in a classic guitar-pop tradition but the execution eschews conventions, resulting in a vivid, lively and refreshing album.

Gruff Rhys offers another minor masterpiece, destined to be all but ignored by those not devoted to his cult. More’s the pity.

While Pang!, totalling just under half an hour, doesn't have the conceptual strengths of Babelsberg or American Interior, it's nevertheless a delight to hear Rhys once again embracing the possibilities of technology and harnessing modern, global sounds to enhance his unique vision. [Oct 2019, p.37]

Pang! doesn't just look forward to a blazing global meltdown. Beneath the modernist sheen, Rhys roots these songs in something older and wiser. [Oct 2019, p.83]

At only nine songs in length, Pang! provides a relatively brief encounter, but its brevity is more than made up for in its upbeat attitude and carefully constructed melodies. Its cross-cultural references may require a more concerted listen, but the vibe and variety all but ensure an endearing effect right from the start. There’s no pain in this Pang!, but instead, a wealth of pure pleasure.

You’ll get more out of the album if you have a minor grasp on Welsh, the same way you’ll get more from certain arcs in Chris Onstad’s Achewood if you know a bit about Wales and Welsh culture. Any little bit helps. But Rhys is such a good songwriter that an audience hailing from anywhere on the globe can tune into Pang!’s curious frequencies and find their own meaning in his sound.

Highlife electronica meets understated Celtic folkiness on charmingly whimsical, multifaceted, Welsh language. [Oct 2019, p.91]

There's something of an air of spontaneity to some of the tracks here, but this same spontaneity can make feel the album feel slightly ephemeral in places. Pang! can sometimes leave you hungering for more, but it’s still often an engaging listen.