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The Preakness' full-length debut, A Class Act in a Bad Situation is filled with sweet and sour pop gems that harness the concise chemistry and power of a loved-and-lost indie-rock trio. A steady diet of Built to Spill, Sebadoh (circa Bakesale), and the Rosebuds informs its collection of careening numbers — most of which never surpass the three-minute mark. Songs such as opening number "Wax On" and a cover of Smog's "A Hit" are summertime anthems rife with reminiscence. "Frog Logic" rams that sentiment head-on into a wall of motorik guitars, butting melancholy squarely against deflated belligerence that becomes a recurring theme. Each song condenses epic emotions into short vignettes brimming with metaphor and jangling emotions. 4 stars
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