Michael Angelakos and his merry band arrived into 2009 with a
fanfare of great hope following last year's release of
near-universally lauded EP Chunk Of Change.
Sleepyhead was being
played everywhere and they were tipped for huge things and featuring in
the Sound Of 2009 longlist. But while the likes of La Roux, The Temper
Trap and Florence And The Machine made huge strides forward this year,
Passion Pit seem to have got lost in their wake.
The release in May of
their album Manners didn't attract the kind of attention many expected,
and their singles haven't made the impact that was hoped for.
What the five-piece from Cambridge, Massachusetts have done is tour
and tour and tour, developing a loyal following and tightening up
their live act. A fixture at numerous festivals over the summer and
seemingly endless gigging in America has brought them to an extended
tour of Europe, including two dates at KOKO that sold
out long ago.
We last saw the band play live in London in February, where
they struggled with their audience. But tonight the connection they
have is so far removed from that lacklustre experience that the work
put in has moved things demonstrably forwards.
Angelakos and his four bandmates still seem to be enjoying
themselves, even after all those other gigs, and the feeling is
infectious as their young fans get caught up in the enthusiasm and
excitement.
Leaving out slower album tracks Swimming In The Flood and
Seaweed Song leaves a set that is designed for maximum crowd enjoyment
- full of belters. It only takes till third track Little Secrets, with
its addictive chorus, before it starts to take hold. From then on
there's no looking back. By the time we reach the giddy tag team of
Sleepyhead and Better Things, KOKO is one big dancing throng.
The combination of the guitar band sound and the electronic backing
is done neatly. They obviously use some backing tracks (there
definitely wasn't a real children's choir live on stage) but it's
pretty minimal and unobtrusive, with most of the sound being
reproduced live.
Angelakos's vocal style is the sticking point for Passion Pit. If
you can't stand his ultra-high pitched tone then there's little that
can be said to persuade. However, in his favour, while it's not an
effortless performance, he manages to reach up to those higher octaves
and hits his notes pretty well throughout. It's almost surprising, and
most definitely a relief, to discover that the man can sing.
They don't have that many songs but those they do have are great. Not
much was left out from their back catalogue of 16 tracks and, once
they're off the road and back in the studio, it'll be interesting to
see which direction they take next.
But for now there's still a fair
amount of mileage left in Manners and even more mileage left for the
tour bus. Passion Pit deserve to be better known than they are, but they
stand out as a likeable band who can combine well-written songs with
irresistible electronic hooks. It's inevitable that their work ethic
will pay off eventually.
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