Rating: 8/10
Kindred, Passion Pit’s third release, is just as indie alt pop lovely as their previous works. Opening with “Lifted Up (1985),” it sounds almost similar to Phoenix’s first album (speaking of which, they really need to release new music).
The album is soft, dancey and overall completely enjoyable. Passion Pit haven’t changed their sound much, staying true to the alt indie synth style they’re already known for. Some songs are slower– like “Looks Like Rain,” which reminds and sounds like a comforting children’s nursery rhyme (rain, rain, go away, come back another day-type memo)– but the entire album is something to be listened to over and over.
Despite the similarity in tone to previous albums and releases, and even similarity among the songs, Kindred doesn’t feel tired or overused. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, as the new release feels fresh and open, perfect for springtime. It’s clean and honest, with seeming themes of gratitude and honesty. Even the title suggests themes of family and it’s clearly there: Passion Pit’s frontman Michael Angelakos has been struggling with bipolar disorder for some time, and the album shows signs of that, and perhaps healing and other themes of potential goodness.
Though the album is short– only 37 minutes long– it’s still a beautiful listen and a wonderful personal journey into the potential hive mind of the band and how it all comes together. Kindred is about family, but it’s also about recovery and the passage of time, which only makes it stand out more among the rest of Passion Pit’s soft, ethereal catalogue of sounds.
