Stag: Stag

Listeners looking for a good-time and uptempo rock songs could do a lot worse than a band like Stag, whose self-titled debut offers an abundance of exactly that. Straightforward rock and roll instrumentation and arrangements don’t exactly offer a bevy of surprises, but there is solid musicianship, layered harmony vocals and clever lyrics to be found in opener “These Times” as well as “Love Her Records” (chorus: “I hate her, but I love her records”).

Other tunes deliver as well, like the propulsive “Mountains of Steel” and the eaworm-y “Paper Crown”, not to mention “Ides of March”, which sounds like an outtake from Quadrophenia. Sure, there are some duds, like the forgettable “Don’t Lead with Your Heart” and “To Be Young”, and overall, this is one of those records that’s tough to remember 10 minutes after it’s ended. But while it’s playing, it’s a pretty good time, and that counts for something, right?