This is exactly what has just happened to me...I sat down at my computer fully prepared to write a post about Passion Pit's album Manners, but as I was thinking about this album and what Passion Pit may have the potential to be I got sidetracked thinking about one of the greatest indie electro-pop albums ever recorded, Give Up by The Postal Service. Of course this had me digging through my cd (yes cd) collection looking for this incredible album and have since ripped it to my hard drive...again...hard drive crashes suck.
Listening to the Postal Service, then had me doing a little research which turned me onto Jimmy Tamborello's (one half of The Postal Service) solo dj project, Dntel...which I will wait to listen to until I finish this post.
Okay...back to the task at hand...about 3 weeks ago a band out of Cambridge Massachusetts released their first full length album titled Manners. You may have not heard of Passion Pit, but chances are you've heard them on a commercial...I'm pretty sure it's a Playstation commercial...yes according to our good friends at Wikipedia it was a PSP commercial here in Canada. The song in question is called Sleepyhead...it's a pretty chill track...and that sample is crazy...in a good way.
Sleepyhead is just one of the highlights on this album, which I've got to be honest at times had me ready to shuffle to anything else, but I'm glad I hung on as there are some musically brilliant parts of this album that make you think Passion Pit might just be able to make it work.
Now this being said, the album is definitely worth a listen...or 2...or more if you tend to be a little too critical...it's okay...I'm a jerk too.
Highlights include the opening track Make Light, Sleepyhead, and The Reeling...this track sounds like Black Kids and Hot Chip had a baby in the eighties, then Doc Brown brought it back to the future and it made music...it's great! Also, be sure to check out Folds In Your Hands...about 1 minute into the track (75 seconds to be exact) it turns into a bangin' dance track...for about 30 seconds...then does it again later in the song.
Bottom line is Passion Pit's Manners is a good album, but it could have been a great album, and I have a feeling next time it just might be. If you do like it...even parts of it, then do yourself a favour if you haven't and check out Give Up by The Postal Service (2003)...it will blow your mind...and it only took them one try.
Hey, look at that...I finished my post.
