Gary Dicks - 9/6/2009

After hearing 'The Reeling', I immediately wanted to track down the band that called themselves Passion Pit and the record that contained this song. On first look, I discovered that it ('Manners') had not yet been released, so a waiting game ensued...
A few weeks passed and I again thought to look for 'Manners', this time finding it for a penny shy of a tenner. Nowadays, I rarely spend so much on CDs as they can be obtained much more cheaply unless I have a particularly good feeling about a record. Although not as full on as I had had it before, that feeling was with me about Passion Pit and this record 'Manners'. A purchase was made.
Into my CD player it went upon my return home and, after the first few songs, the only word to describe my feeling is disappointment. I think this is mainly due to the high expectations I had, as on subsequent listens, I have enjoyed it more, though it is still far from the fresh record I imagined it to be.
There are highlights, 'The Reeling' being the main one funnily enough, and it is a pleasant enough musical backdrop for an hour if you are not in the mood to listen intently and just want something uplifting and poppy to nod your head to as you busy yourself with something else.
It was only recently, upon purchasing and listening to 'Pet Sounds' by The Beach Boys, that I realised just how much they sounded like The Beach Boys. Albeit an electro-pop version of them. However, don't expect the genius of Brian Wilson to envelop you when you press play.