Gossamer

by Passion Pit

Overview

Like 2009's Manners, Passion Pit's sophomore outing is a fat thunderclap of soulful, echo-boom electro-pop that's as poisonous as it is precious, pounding out twinkling summer dance hymns that frame Michael Angelakos' elastic falsetto against a buttermilk sky that's secretly teeming with ominous storm clouds. With Gossamer, Angelakos' angst is pushed even further to the forefront, revealing an artist who doesn't just moonlight as a professional demon wrestler, but puts in a full day's work. Despite the flurry of pre-release woes (canceled shows, lengthy hospital stays, and the revelation of a botched, early suicide attempt, the latter of which is examined in great detail on the visceral and vulnerable closer "Where We Belong"), Gossamer is a triumph of youthful, bipolar tenacity that filters its manic energy through a cosmopolitan prism of pop avenues, from silky neo-soul ("Constant Conversation") to shimmery Jonsi-inspired synth pop ("Take a Walk"), the latter of which takes a third-person approach, weaving a tale of a husband and father's desperation in trying to make sense of his own actions in the midst of a recession's relentless, bloodied backhand. Angelakos' pathos aside, musically, Gossamer bristles with the kind of accessible pop luminosity that's usually relegated to barren Top 40 nonsense, but Angelakos and company know what constitutes a proper earworm, and effortless, infectious cuts like "I'll Be Alright," "Carried Away," "It's Not My Fault, I'm Happy," and the aforementioned "Constant Conversation" latch on to the cochlea like a xenomorph with a taste for Fun., Phoenix, and the Lightning Seeds. Though the environment that birthed the appropriately titled Gossamer may be a bummer, the end product is winningly majestic and brilliantly spun. ~ James Christopher Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	09/01/2023
Label:	Frenchkiss Records
UPC:	0197188670542
Rank:	5706

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Passion Pit   Primary Artist
Chris Zane   Drums,Percussion
Jon Natchez   Sax (Tenor),Sax (Baritone)
Nico Muhly   Piano,Celeste
Caleb Burhans   Viola
Kelly Pratt   Trumpet,Trombone
Rob Moose   Violin
Michael Angelakos   Vocals
Clarice Jensen   Cello
Nadia Sirota   Viola
Max Mandel   Viola
Eric Lamb   Flute
Anna Elashvili   Violin
Yuki Numata   Violin
Keats Dieffenbach   Violin
Amanda Wikstroem   Vocals
Ebba Lovisa Andersson   Vocals
Petra Brohaell   Vocals

Technical Credits

Isaac Green   A&R
Chris Zane   Mixing,Producer
Greg Calbi   Mastering
Nico Muhly   String Arrangements
Alex Aldi   Mixing,Engineer,Additional Production
Diplo   Programming
Michael Angelakos   Composer,Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Mark Borthwick   Photography
Anita Marisa Boriboon   Design,Art Direction
Richard Cohen   Management
Carson Donnelly   A&R
Helen Barbieri   Stylist
Andrew Esposito   Programming
Jen Myles   Groomer
Mike Dunkley   Programming