Passion Pit preview
Empty Bottle, Chicago
Sunday, June 14, 2009
You can’t win these days, so don’t even try. Passion Pit’s Michael Angelakos’ career came about accidentally. Dumped by a girlfriend, he turned around and recorded an EP’s worth of songs for her. Deciding they were worth more than this witless dame, he packaged them as Chunk Of Change, won over the blogosphere, and became an instant sensation. And then came the backlash.
Hopefully Angelakos figures out that music critics — especially trend-conscious ones — are no better than scorned lovers. His debut album, Manners (Frenchkiss), bowed late last month and doesn’t find the boy mopping floors with his tears, but hitting the clubs with the energy that accompanies newfound singlehood. Ditching Chunk‘s twiddly bedroom electro, Passion Pit take to listening to Arcade Fire (albeit with synths) and insert a rocket up their asses. There’s some cloying ’80s-isms in the way (cornball drumfills; “Eyes As Candles” could easily have backdropped Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall’s motorcycle ride through Philly) and an odd obsession with teen-choir vocals, but with all the pulsing lights you won’t be able to see all the naysayers sitting on the sidelines, hoping their friends will wanna leave soon.
Harlem Shakes and Cale Parks open.
— Steve Forstneger
Click here to watch the video for “Sleepyhead.”
Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly
