Band: Passion Pit
Album: Gossamer
Pitchforks: 3.5 out of 5
The title of the band Passion Pit’s second studio album is “Gossamer, ” which according to the first of two definitions in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary refers to “something light, delicate, or insubstantial.”
True to this definition, the band’s album is composed of tracks that sound almost fragile to the ear, with content about relationships that are constantly on the verge of disintegrating, or are deliberately pushed in that direction.
The best tracks off of the album invoke a manic quality when paired with the lyrics of one song to the other, suggesting slightly off and constantly diverging emotional states of the album’s narrator.
‘Carried Away,’ an exaggerated pop number with synthesized sensibilities is a pseudo apology note, while the following track represents a flat denial of any wrongdoing on the narrator’s part.
Upon an examination, the album’s uptempo and synthpop sounds, along with lead singer Michael Angelakos’ processed vocals, distract from the slightly deeper layers of lyrical content, more in line with the other definition of Gossamer, “spider webs.” Is this what the singer was trying to communicate with the title?
The least interesting cut from ‘Gossamer,’ ‘Take a Walk‘ is the most straight forward track, both lyrically and musically, if only because it doesn’t have the dense production accompanying it, and sounds the most overtly commercial track.
Every single element, on every track sounds like it was randomly placed in the track, yet it’s exquisite to hear where they landed.
A personal favorite is on ‘Cry Like A Ghost,‘ where something resembling a 90s backup R&B vocalist with the pitch jacked up repeats itself several times throughout.
All 11 tracks possess a singular identity, in regards to arrangement, even if mainly the singles are standouts, such as ‘I’ll Be Alright’ and ‘Constant Conversations.’
This leads to the only problem with “Gossamer”–the lyrics need another pass. When every song stands out in production, it’s only a natural progression that the material underneath receives a closer examination.
The other end of the production, Angelako’s lyrics, are not completely accessible at times. One almost has the impression they’re lines that make perfect sense in his mind and were applicable to his experiences when he jotted them down, but he doesn’t paint with wide enough brush strokes for clarity or a simplicity for all.
Still, this is an overall enjoyable album to listen to, with each song constructed in a way that could only be described as an abstract audio menagerie.
The tracks would most likely sound best on the commute somewhere, which isn’t the worst possible trait to be labeled with–just don’t listen too carefully.
For their next album, Angelakos and Passion Pit need to focus less on their pristine production and more of making their singers written word less of a labyrinth to the listener.
Reach the reporter at tccoste1@asu.edu
Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.
