Passion Pit Needs No Lessons on Manners

Passion Pit
Manners
Rating: 8.5/10
RIYL: Phoenix, Cut Copy, Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem, Deerhoof

Experts say that fashion trends come in waves. I say the same goes for music. Let’s give a quick recap of the last 30 years in music:
The 1970’s were swept away with several sub-genres of rock, such as psychadelic, surf, progressive, garage, blues, and roots. The mid-seventies also saw a rise in a genre that defined much of the culture in that decade: Disco.

Scenes such as Studio 54 rose out of the dust during the 1980’s. Saturday Night Fever and Flashdance were brought to the screen, and the Man in the Moon with the Cocaine Spoon carried people through grueling nights of grooving.

The 80’s and 90’s gave way to dance, glam rock, pop, and electronica. Raves were the rage as people still chose to dance through the night. Even through today, these genres still find their home in the stereo speakers of the youth.
All of this leads to now. Dance, pop, and electronica influences from back in the day are coming back in full swing, with a bit of a contemporary twist. A whirlwind example: the surprisingly young Passion Pit.

The band unofficially formed in 2007 when lead vocalist Michael Angelakos composed songs as a Valentines gift for his then-girlfriend. This creation gained popularity where Angelakos was attending college and eventually evolved into Passion Pit’s first EP Chuck of Change. The band released Manners on May 19th earlier this year. Since its release, Manners has gained momentum in its popularity and respect from the masses.

This album is one of the best American electronica/dance albums of the year. With its tingling melodies mashed with unfastened beats and sexy boyish vocals, Passion Pit has successfully pieced together an extremely danceable, yet quite respectable first full-feature album.

Tracks worth checking out include “Little Secrets”, “Moths Wings”, “The Reeling”, “Folds in Your Hands”, and of course, the single “Sleepyhead” where everything is going to the beat.


Video: The Reeling