In a recent interview with Pitchfork, Passion Pit mainman Michael Angelakos spoke about how he was trying to figure out what constitutes family. The title of PP’s latest offering, Kindred, alludes to his exploration of this thorny issue. So, the back story is promising – but does the record deliver?
First and foremost, this is a pop record. However, it’s a bland version of pop, with – to these ears – an uncomfortably similar feel to commercial jingles. Typical of this style is album opener ‘Lifted Up (1985)’, an overblown number with a highly irritating chorus. Still, if you care enough to get past the overproduced music, there are lyrics here – and throughout the record – which feel like they come from a deeper place: “1985 was a good year/ The sky broke apart and you appeared.” Generally, the tracks on Kindred suffer from the same failing of chronic overproduction, with the album utilising many of the worst aspects of stadium rawk. An honorable exception is ‘Looks Like Rain’, a beautifully crafted number with a chorus that echoes The Beach Boys. Unfortunately, though, the glossy ’80s synths that dominate ‘Five Foot Ten’ are more emblematic of the overall tone. Admirable though Angelakos’s lyrical honesty is on Kindred, musically he needs to up his game...

Key Track - 'Looks Like Rain'