Passion Pit paints uplifting picture of recovery with album

There is no mistaking the huge influence Passion Pit has had on both music and culture since their debut in 2009. With a complex brand of synth and soul dubbed “indietronica,” the young band’s music has been successful in its own right and has been featured in countless commercials and films, making it nearly impossible to find someone who hasn’t heard their music in some respect. Their newest album Kindred is another impressive effort, filled with honesty and heart, and when considering the band’s struggles over the last few years, it is uplifting.

Lead singer Michael Angelakos’s personal life was always tied to Passion Pit, as the band’s first tracks were written as love songs to his girlfriend during the New York native’s time at Emerson College. Though this gives Angelakos a deeply personal connection to the music, life in the spotlight can easily take its toll. In 2012, during Passion Pit’s tour for their sophomore album Gossamer, Angelakos was admitted to a hospital for depression and the remaining tour dates were canceled. It was later revealed in an interview with Pitchfork that the frontman has suffered from bipolar disorder since he was 17. Gossamer reflects this struggle, but Passion Pit’s newest album is much lighter, and it seems Angelakos is in a much better place, as his return to the stage in 2013 came with a declaration: “Seven months ago they told me I’d never f-cking tour again, and now we’re here at Madison Square Garden.”

Kindred is full of love for Angelakos’ wife, who he has referenced often as his most important support system. The opening track “Lifted Up (1985),” aside from being incredibly bubbly and fun, is a love story about his wife descending from heaven and being grounded to earth with the strength of their love. Slow funk jam “Where the Sky Hangs” also references Angelakos’ wife.

“I’ve got somebody else just to keep me on my toes again/ I can barely stand when you’re coming too close/ I get caught up in your heartstrings/ Way up, where another sky hangs,” croons the pop rocker over instrumentals ripped straight from the ’80s. Full of soul, Passion Pit has mastered the art of feeling. Though previous albums have contained notoriously negative lyrics, this newest work finally has Angelakos on an upswing, which he has been feeling since his recovery according to an interview with TimeOut.

“The next record will be personal but warmer and about the love of settling down. I would be interested in making an optimistic record,” Angelakos said. “I haven’t written an optimistic song in over 10 years. I’m looking forward to writing an album about real love. I’ve been very narcissistic, and I’m getting bored with that.”

Companion tracks “Five Foot Ten(I)” and “Ten Feet Tall(II)” express this uplifted spirit beautifully. Seemingly negative, the prechorus in the first track is, “I wanna be alone,” repeated several times, but as the chorus comes in it becomes clear that Angelakos does not want to be alone with himself.

“All alone, I wanna be/ All alone, the two of us/ All alone, I wanna be/ All alone, alone with you,” resonates over pop bass and bright flickering synths to create another love ballad directed at his wife. The latter of the two tracks is much more solemn, sharing a melody with “Five Foot Ten(I),” but with a much slower tempo. The track is less about love and more about progress, making mention of Angelakos’ time in the hospital.

“They knocked me down and I grew 10 feet tall/ They say they know what’s good for me, they say to take it slow/ Well I can’t slow down, cause I want it all/ Darling what’s it say about me? It cuts me to the bone,” blares out of the speakers through a lo-fi filter reminiscent of fun.’s “Some Nights.” As the album’s closer, “Ten Feet Tall(II)” is hopeful and proud, featuring a reinvented Angelakos performing to his fullest abilities. There is no mistaking this album as a homecoming for the 25 year old, who was known nothing of adult life other than touring and tough times. Though this track is arguably the strongest message of the album, one other track resonates deeply with Angelakos’s mental triumphs.

“Dancing on the Grave” is the slowest song on Kindred, using one drum to fire the whole song forward, like a heartbeat underneath a breath of heavy synths. Its title seems dark, but in truth, it is a hopeful message about rebirth rather than death.

“Someone told me I should just give in and stay, and stay/ Oh come and celebrate, we’re dancing on the grave,” sings Angelakos, speaking of his former struggles with depression, and how far he’s come. Passion Pit is a band forged out of turmoil, but through the darkness of lead singer Michael Angelakos’s past comes a vibrant reflection on life and love, and most importantly, recovery.

Matt Burke is a sophomore majoring in film production. His column, “Notes on Notes,” ran Wednesdays.