WERS 88.9 fm Album Review: Passion Pit - Manners

June 9th, 2009

Passion Pit - Manners

Passion Pit frontman Michael Angelakos did what I never could: he put his Emerson College education on the backburner to commit to his band full-time, resulting in not only multiple offers from record labels, but almost-unanimous critical acclaim for his Chunk of Change EP.

The EP launched Angelakos and his newly-assembled backing band at full throttle into the upper reaches of the blogosphere, where they drifted onto stages alongside acts like Yelle, Girl Talk and Death Cab For Cutie. The band's debut full-length, Manners, touched down May 18th.

Soaring even higher is Angelakos' excited castrato, cutting through even the shrillest of synths. It's almost comical that a few songs employ female backup singers and boys' choirs...but in all seriousness, it's a perfect fit for the thick layers of electronics, undercut with a rock-solid rhythm section.

For such an electronic-heavy band, Passion Pit give off a different image...you don't picture a bunch of guys standing around and twiddling knobs or dancing around their laptops. There are some inspired musicians behind this futuristic hit parade. Passion Pit take a shamelessly '80s aesthetic and update it with hints of Italo-disco and a modern indie rock attitude. It's no wonder then that Angelakos & co. have carved out a nice spot for themselves as one of the premier acts to follow in 2009.

Highlights: "Moth's Wings," "The Reeling" and the recycled Chunk of Change track, "Sleepyhead."

- Mike Moschetto