Passion Pit/Fanfarlo, London Vibe Bar

June 8, 2009

Like Foals, Friendly Fires and The Kooks before them, Passion Pit come into tonight’s OnesToWatch show as the fuel that’s kept the Hype Machine chugging along at full speed during 2009. Undoubtedly the most blog-buzzed band this side of MGMT, the bearded Boston-based five-piece have been planted with every superlative form imaginable since arriving onto the scene, and boy is it easy to see why.

Playing to a packed out audience for the second evening of the five-night Revue, Passion Pit deliver what is without a shadow of a doubt one of 2009’s stand-out pop moments. Kicking off proceedings with the heartfelt rush of ‘Better Things’, it’s clear the bedroom recorded love songs penned for Michael Angelakos’ girlfriend have made a miraculous metamorphosis into a collection of unbridled, overwhelmingly joyous masterpieces.  The crunky opening to ‘Little Secrets’ is entwined with layers of psychedelic swirls and Angelako’s phenomenal falsetto, while the dizzying heights of ‘Make Light’ soars and swoons, showering synth shards over a sweat-soaked crowd so heaving that any furniture to hand gets clambered on in order to gain any sort of vantage point.

That leaves then perhaps the most thrilling finale to a gig you’ll ever likely witness. ‘Sleepyhead’, ‘Moth Wings’ and ‘The Reeling’ all glitter like the anthems that they are, building the overwhelming, endorphin spinning emotions to a heart racing crescendo amongst a now giddy audience. ‘The Reeling’, in particular, taking on a life of it’s own as Angelako emerges from behind his keyboard to interact with a crowd ready to belt back a chorus that will no doubt be etched into your brain all summer long, “Look at me, oh look at me, is this the way I’ll always be, oh nooooo, oh nooooo!” Chest pumping, life affirming, knee quiveringly awesome.

Support for Passion Pit comes in the shape of Hereford heartbreakers Apples, who splice sax and synth-driven funk with playful, bouncing janglebeat riffs, and the elegant and grandiose offerings of Fanfarlo. Taking to the stage with a variety of instruments, including a trumpet, violin and mandolin the London based six-piece played a playful, intelligent set with members swapping instruments and vocal duties as well as a guest appearance by folk troubadour Jeremy Warmsley.