RIYL: Matt & Kim, Vampire Weekend, Two Door Cinema Club, Phoenix
One of the few bands to recently (ever?) come out of the Boston music scene and break into the big time, Passion Pit’s 2012 LP ‘Gossamer’ arrived with mega-hype thanks to the unexpected success of their 2009 debut ‘Manners’. Largely defined by frontman Michael Angelakos’ unrelenting falsetto vocals, the band crafts a bouncy electro-pop full of twitchy beats, glam sampling and 80’s synth lines. Much has been made of Angelakos’ battles with bipolar disorder, and in a July 2012 Pitchfork cover story, the singer laid bare the difficulties of managing his illness while fulfilling the frenetic schedule required of an up-and-coming pop star.
“Take A Walk”, the lead single for ‘Gossamer’, was an exciting teaser, delivering an infectious synth-hook, foot-stomping rhythms and mature narrative lyrics. The second single, “I’ll Be Alright”, was met with decent fanfare, but the track is mostly an ‘Exhibit A” that reveals why so many of the tracks on ‘Gossamer’ fail to connect. The track feels manic from the get-go, with high-pitched sampling that recalls Kanye West’s “Through the Wire” and a swarm of excessively electronic production. The vocals are hard to decipher and there’s zero emotional depth as Angelakos sings, “I drink and drink and take a couple of more pills”. Enlightening.
“Constant Conversations” is slightly more tolerable, laying down a mellower groove with hand claps and quasi-soul singer styling. Still, it’s hard to see how these sorts of songs could stand up to a headlining tour. The band members certainly have talent, but their bag of tricks is limited, and more often than not, grating. Being well-known for fighting personal demons makes Angelakos’ penchant for crafting peppy pop songs feel a bit incongruous.
There’s a small reprieve late in the album with “It’s Not My Fault, I’m Happy”. The verses are wistful and moving, with Angelakos sweetly intoning “Sorry I couldn’t be there/ I was tied to a rocking chair/ I was beat down to a pulp/ Rocking back and forth somewhere.” There’s real potential for some depths to be delved, but Mike opts instead for a cookie-cutter chorus that ruins the mood with an “It’s not right/ It’s not fair” refrain. At only 26, there’s plenty of time for Angelakos’ songwriting to mature, but judging by the majority of efforts on ‘Gossamer’, it might be a lengthy wait.
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For More Information Visit:
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http://www.passionpitmusic.com
