OK, so I must confess that I ended up not going to see Blackbud. This was for a few reasons, one of which was that the new House episodes were on TV. This is important.
BUT instead of that (potentially) thrilling review, we have some ground breaking developments. I would like to report that for the first time ever, my sister has gotten me into a band. For the first time, the ever flowing river of recommendation has turned, and I am made to admit the greatness of a band she brought to the house.
This band is Passion Pit, and their new LP "Manners" is bloody good.
Don't be fooled by the muted colour scheme of the album art, because this album is derived from the kind of shoutitfromtherooftops euphoria that usually settles in half way through "Hoppipolla", spread out over 45 minutes. "Manners" oscillates between sounding like a high pitched Motion City Soundtrack ("Make Light") or a more resolutely happy Death Cab For Cutie ("Moth's Wings", "To Kingdom Come" and "Let Your Love Grow Tall") and the chunky/funky electro sounds one imagines would occur if the Twelves remixed the Rent soundtrack ("Little Secrets", "The Reeling").
The production is far tighter than I've heard before, with the stomping kick drums cutting through, and ridiculously high vocals grabbing the album by the scruff of the neck and throwing it into the "party music" category.
Now because I'm an essayist at heart I'm gunna have to come up with some negatives, and they are thus: One, I know a great deal many people who would become annoyed with that vocal very quickly; and Two, a lot of the tracks are just a LITTLE too long (especially the first few super-happy tracks, for which it is difficult to keep the same level of enthusiasm going over the full 4.5 mins).
Other than that, I think this is a fine debut full-length, and I can see it soundtracking a lot of road trips with the sis.
Ciao.
Chris/Audio Bigot
xx
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