My familiarity with Pas/Cal has largely been based on a precious few songs heard over the years as well as a few concert posters in a friend’s apartment. The songs are usually above average, and the posters are great. As you can see from
their web site, they are staunchly dedicated to their modish presentation, and it’s hard to describe them without invoking the ’60s or the French. Being from neither the ’60s or France thus seats them handsomely at a table on the patio of Café Pretence. However, few contemporaries bring the same exuberance to their pop music, or are willing to gleefully confound its expectations. In Glorious Ballad of the Ignored, from their first full-length album, they manage to cram what feels like about 10 songs into under five minutes. The result is way less pretentious than it is awesome.