I think that when I look back at this grand music blogging adventure and start tallying up all the hits and misses of my career, the one that’s really going to sting was the time in June last year when I picked up a track called ‘Sleepyhead’ from the now defunct Good Weather for Airstrikes, and thought to myself ‘Hm. This is actually quite good. Maybe I should blog this. Nah, one track seems a bit insubstantial. Maybe I’ll see what else they do’. The band was Passion Pit, and suffice to say, they have done quite a lot in the intervening ten months. In terms of the buzz surrounding the band, it’s probably not entirely beyond the pale to call them this year’s MGMT. They’ve already had the ultra-hyped single (the aforementioned ‘Sleepyhead’), the acclaimed EP (the not aforementioned ‘Chunk of Change’), the SXSW breakout gig and now the major label debut album, Manners, due to be released on the 19th of May. As I said, quite the 10 months.

I must admit that I, personally, was a little underwhelmed with ‘Chunk of Change’. In fact I could oft be heard pontificating about the fact that it seemed like ‘Sleepyhead’ was their only good idea and that the rest of the EP was under-produced laptop pop, which did not bode well for the album at all. Well, humble pie all round! (No? Just for me? Ok, then) Because the album is here and from the first track it becomes pretty obvious that 2009′s gods of indie pop have arrived.

The first thing you notice is that they, well, sound like a band. I think my major issue with ‘Chunk of Change’ had been the fact that to my mind it sounded a little ill-disciplined; lots of good ideas but insufficient attention actually paid to making them work. Amazing what some production values can do. The tracks shimmer with sing-along choruses, soaring falsettos, propulsive drums, 80s synth stabs and children’s choirs (they feature on album highlights ‘The Reeling’ and ‘Little Secrets’. Apparently we’re now far enough post-D.A.N.C.E. to make that actually work again. Who woulda thought?) And there’s barely a flat track on here either, although some (‘Folds in Your Hands’ and ‘Eyes as Candles’ leap to mind) are a little more perfunctory than others. But, at a basic level, Passion Pit have produced a full, coherent and enjoyable album, a feat that MGMT certainly couldn’t achieve with ‘Oracular Spectacular’.

Let’s be clear though: ‘Manners’ is in no way revolutionary stuff. This is, very undeniably, indie pop and makes no bones about it. But it’s shiny and energetic and joyful indie pop, and will be absolutely fucking everywhere in a couple of weeks, so you may as well brace yourselves and enjoy the ride.

Passion Pit – Moth’s Wings

-luke