WEEKEND VIDEO
There’s one thing you can confidently say about this Massachusetts-based band’s disorienting debut: It never lacks energy. Riding a flurry of prerelease hype, Passion Pit have inevitably drawn comparisons to fellow electro-rock breakouts MGMT, and Manners is similarly full of helium-infused vocals blanketed over tenacious synth-pop beats, sometimes to an exhausting degree. And while the midtempo tunes often venture into cheesy ’80s-pop territory, the album’s dense sound rewards repeat listens. Frenetic lead single “The Reeling” bottles the band’s charm quite nicely — youthful anxiety made irresistibly danceable.