Passion Pit – Chunk of Change EP Review
Passion Pit’s exploding popularity seemed to have come out of nowhere last year. Actually, it came out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, specifically Emerson College. This is where lead singer Michael Angelakos was attending when Passion Pit recorded its debut EP, Chunk of Change, as a Valentine to his girlfriend. Through word of mouth and the infectious single ‘Sleepyhead,’ the EP ended up gaining enormous attention and popularity. I heard Sleepyhead midway through last year and decided to check out the rest of the EP. Angelakos’ synth-heavy brand of pop sounds like a pre-pubescent, heavily caffeinated Thom Yorke fronting Cut Copy…but in a good way.
The EP starts off well enough with the slower electro-pop ‘I’ve Got Your Number.’ Angelakos croons over a fun, percussion heavy synth beat. It’s the longest song on the EP at just over 6 minutes, but it doesn’t drag at all. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the next three tracks. On my first listen through the album, ‘Smile Upon Me,’ ‘Cuddle Fuddle,’ and ‘Live To Tell The Tale’ felt bland compared to what I’d already heard of Passion Pit. After a few more listens, I got accustomed to them, but they still feel more like filler than anything else. The hooks, while relatively catchy, are just too repetitive.
Thankfully, Angelakos redeems himself with the final two tracks on the EP. ‘Better Things’ starts out with a crackly, cute introduction: a little boy promising that “this will be our best song that you have ever heard.” While maybe not the best song I’ve ever heard, ‘Better Things’ is a remarkably catchy, danceable song that’ll have you singing along by the time the second chorus rolls around. Angelakos delivers upbeat, fun lyrics over a quirky keyboard-dominated synth background.
The EP closes with the best single of 2008. ‘Sleepyhead’ took awhile to grow on me after a friend of mine introduced it to me. He was entirely in love with it, and at first listen, I couldn’t understand why. Therefore, if you haven’t heard it before, I’ll warn you: You may not love it immediately. I know I didn’t. It took multiple listens until I realized that every time I heard it, it grabbed my attention, and every time I heard it, I liked it a little more. The sped-up sample of an old Gaelic song in the background perfectly compliments the hand claps and shouty vocals. Clocking at under three minutes, it’s by far the shortest song on the EP, but it’s also without a doubt the best. Not to mention it has a kickass video. If this is what we can expect from Angelakos’ LP due out later this year, Passion Pit will be huge.
Chunk of Change is an EP that needs to be taken for what it is: a Valentine’s gift. These tracks were never intended to be released. It has some low points and some major high points, but the former definitely outweigh the latter. It’s an above average debut from a band that’s obviously capable of making great music.
If you want to see how progress on the LP is going, check out their blog.
Passion Pit – Sleepyhead
Passion Pit – Better Things
Passion Pit – I’ve Got Your Number
Tags: EP, Passion Pit
love this crew