Passion Pit - Gossamer

For the first review ever of this site, I will be reviewing an album that falls in that hazy area. It’s definitely not old, but it’s not an album one would call particularly new. It made quite the scene when it was first released, but I only just listened to it recently. The album is…

PASSION PIT – GOSSAMER

Review by Gil Israel

Here we go!

            Gossamer, Passion Pit’s sophomore LP is certainly a lot of fun. It’s an immediately satisfying listen that requires absolutely no effort on the listener’s part to enjoy, but it’s also good enough to be able to listen to many times without sickening of it.

The melodies are extremely catchy, the hooks grab you like vulnerable fish in the big blue, and the tone/sound of the music leaves you happy and or hyped. However, though this is definitely a good album, the album’s great pop tunes and incredibly positive first impression may actually be it’s greatest downfall.

            To elaborate, though this album sounds like the college party soundtrack of the year (or I guess of 2012), the lyrical content of the songs are quite sad. The opening track, “Take a Walk,” one of the album’s strongest tracks talks about all kinds of upsetting scenarios that include a difficult immigration process, bankruptcy, and helplessness. However, if you blast this for your friends, they will start bopping to it and think it’s simply a good pop tune – just a tasty jam. A similar trend is continued on most of the songs throughout the album. Another example is, “Cry Like a Ghost,” which is also extremely catchy and upbeat, but discusses themes of alcoholism, depression/insanity, and even domestic violence. But once again, the track is too catchy for anyone to experience the subject matter as everyone just immediately gets hooked in the general melody while not paying any attention to the lyrics.

            I’m not saying that a contrast such as this never works however. Very often, artists use this same formula to successfully portray a stark irony, or to try to express how often one pretends that everything is fine and happy on the surface while they are falling apart on the inside. Of Montreal’s 2008 Hissing Fauna Are You the Destroyer did this masterfully where super catchy upbeat sings were filled depressing lyrical themes, and even Outkasts “Hey Ya” plays on this dynamic interestingly by showcasing the fact, in the lyrics of the damn song, that no one would be paying attention to the subject matter and would just pay attention to the in your face groove and party anthem feel.

            But Gossamer doesn’t do this nearly as successful. It doesn’t seem like it’s trying to be ironic, and it doesn’t seem to be trying to convey the outer inner dynamic. Instead, it simply comes off like Michael Angelakos simply can’t write any kind of song except super sugary pop-songs. Though thousands, even millions, would kill for such an ability, for Angelakos it seems like a detriment in that he can’t fully express the emotional depth musically that he tries to get at in his lyrics. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that underneath the blaring synths, dance beats, and falsettos galore, it’s often very hard for the casual listener to even make out the lyrics… so even if the listener wants to look past the pop-hooks, it’s not the easiest task.

            Yet despite this flaw, I did actually enjoy the album and there are tracks that do a better job of properly conveying the emotions Angelakos is trying to present. For instance, “Constant Conversations,” my favorite track on the album, is a fresh R&B inspired song where Angelakos once again sings of alcoholism, but also expresses a troubled relationship and an interesting persona as a drunkard who wants his girlfriend to stay, but also knows that she should leave him someday for her own good. There are moments of other tracks that also do a good job with this such “On My Way” and “Where We Belong,” even though the latter sounds like it’s trying super hard to be that epic album closer. Overall, it’s these moments that prevent this album from simply being mindless pop and instead something better – something more unique.

            So despite my thrashing, this album is sure to provide great listening pleasure and be stuck in your head for hours, days, etc. If your looking for a good time, you’ll immediately enjoy this album, and if you’re looking for something deeper, you’ll find it here too – you just may have to try a little harder…

OVERALL SCORE

7.8