Passion Pit

Hmm, so this band have probably been blogged about by everyone under the sun, so why bother about writing about them at all?  Well, partly because I want to and partly because I want you to know about them now.

There are no two ways about it, this band are absolutely fabulous and deserve nothing less than to be absolutely huge this year; and it seems that this is an utterly inevitable fate and we’ll be unable to escape them. I honestly think this bunch of young gentleman for Cambridge, Massachusetts (think Boston) are going to "be this years MGMT/Vampire Weekend/some other band who blew up in a ridiculous fashion in 2008".

Having been turned on to them late last year, I promptly looked them up next time I took seat in front of my computer and managed to pick up a couple of their tunes and a remix. Rest assured, as soon as I got back after Christmas the CD was on it's way to me from the States where it was originally put out by small independent label French Kiss; incidentally they have now been snapped up by Columbia over here. 

Passion Pit come across like something original which has been created out the sum of various influences and great big dollops of ingenuity. You can hear elements of acts such as The Postal Service, MGMT and other such lauded, successful and influential acts thrown into the mix. However, don't take this as a slight that they are mere copycats riding into 2009 on coattails. No no. Having been discussing the lack of a MASSIVE breakthrough trend, really, since The Strokes blew up and everyone decided they'd be cocks and make me listen to garage rock for far too long. Far too long indeed. Could Passion Pit be the ones to break dreamy synth-pop to the world? Feasibly. As soon as the swirly synth melody in "Sleepyhead" you'll be hooked, if you're not... I swear you have no soul, love of melody or sense. 

This short EP, consisting of only six tracks, is an absolute delight to listen to, yet seemingly didn't really crop up on many, if any, end of year "Best Of..." lists, which surprises me frankly.

Opening up with the mesmorising ‘I've Got Your Number’, utilising hollow little clops and handclaps under synths which twist hypnotically around the vocal line, the record never lets up. ‘Smile Upon Me’ flies by in a flash of rapid beats and then the charming ‘Cuddle Fuddle’ comes in, all cheery keys and dreamy melodies. ‘Live to Tell The Tale’ is perhaps the song that The Postal Service never wrote, which would have made ‘Give Up’ a great record rather than a good, albeit, over played one…(and NO, Nathan Fake does not sound like The smegging Postal Service). 

‘Better Things’ flies by and suddenly you will find yourself listening to ‘Sleepyhead’. Thought you heard Time To Pretend/Kids/Electric Feel/A Punk etc alot last year?  Well this song will be the bane of your lives in 2009, not because there is anything wrong with it though, quite the opposite in fact. This is the perfect single for optimism from the moment the looped vocal sample comes in; actually it’s the perfect soundtrack for optimism, to the extent that you will find it being drilled into your ears day and night, from the moment the press get hold of it and tell every silly sod who hasn't once listened to their own brain in regards to musical tastes, to buy it. Not of course, that I'm any different, I just like to say it early-ish. 

This a fabulously ethereal, dreamy, melodious and wonderful record, buy it asap, I can not urge you strongly enough!

Words: James Hoste

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