The Daily Spin, January 9
Passion Pit | Manners
Welcome back to the Daily Spin, the series in which I review 365 albums during 2023. It’s Day 9! Technically, today should be new music - but I don’t know that much of anything came out this week, so I’m reverting to an old classic - pick a favorite album that I’ve been obsessed with as of late.
Each album will be given a rating on a scale from 0 to 10. You can look at the entire set here.
If you want to suggest an album, good news! You can do so right here!
Album: Manners (2009)
Artist: Passion Pit
Link:
Few people manage to contrast the sound and the meaning or sentiment of their music as well as Passion Pit does, and it’s arguably his greatest quality as a musician. This album, their debut, embodies that better than any other, as an introduction to frontman Michael Angelakos’ unique style in addition to the instrumentation that placed them at the front of the shift of indie luminaries from more acoustic work to electronic pursuits.
Over happy keyboard, glimmering synths, and romping percussions, Angelakos’ falsetto wails about the human experience with a bit more realism that I think I had expected on my first go-around. Despite the unique manner in which he sings, though, the message carries just as strongly, with his consistent emotional openness working strongly in his favor, adding a surprising level of depth and heft to songs that, on the surface, just sound like someone hopped into a shower and then the hot water cut out.
For me, the best track is Sleepyhead, far and away. Playing a sample of an Irish folk singer against a song about the transition into death is a genius move, and some of the most unusual vocal effects make the song memorable for all the right reasons. Moth’s Wings is probably the catchiest song for me, standing out with a chorus that holds in my memory as it has for almost 14 years now - god, I’m getting old.
From beginning to end, this album embodies the best of indie pop. Its influence is impossible to understate, its legacy similarly powerful. From beginning to end, there’s nary a skip on the album, and when I’m feeling down and in need of a pickup - well, it’s Manners.
Rating: 9.4/10
Best Tracks: Moth’s Wings; Sleepyhead; Little Secrets
Worst Tracks: Eyes as Candles