Kindred
by Passion Pit
  • Record Label: Columbia
  • Release Date: Apr 21, 2015
Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 23
  3. Negative: 1 out of 23
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  1. The A.V. Club
    Apr 21, 2015
    83
    The advantage of Kindred, though, is that Angelakos’ focus on being more versatile requires attention, which results in a greater appreciation for all that he does.
  2. Boston Globe
    Apr 21, 2015
    80
    Kindred is also the group’s most unsinkable album, barreling through the speakers with muscular, glossy synths and the jittery tension between Angelakos’s tangy falsetto and what he’s actually saying.
  3. DIY Magazine
    Apr 20, 2015
    80
    It’s all the more joyous for its lack of shame. This is a major label pop album and that’s OK.
  5. AllMusic
    Apr 20, 2015
    80
    Frontman Michael Angelakos presents a gratitude-imbued, relatively ballad-heavy, but still sparkling third Passion Pit LP in Kindred.
  6. Under The Radar
    Apr 16, 2015
    80
    On the group's excellent third album, Kindred, Angelakos has crafted a record which seems hopeful in the face of the world's myriad of disappointments, obstacles, and unseen villains, buoyed by the most dynamic, expertly calibrated synth pop of his career. [Apr - May 2015, p.85]
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  7. Alternative Press
    Apr 14, 2015
    80
    After the doom and gloom of 2012's Gossamer, Kindred sees Angelakos walking back into the light. [May 2015, p.100]
  8. Pretty Much Amazing
    Apr 21, 2015
    75
    His third record perfectly distills Passion Pit’s mission statement to a mixture of musical nostalgia and energy that coalesces quite well with larger messages of accepting the past in order to embrace the future.
  9. Chicago Tribune
    Apr 14, 2015
    75
    At times, the singer-producer's one-man band approach can be wearying.... Yet the singer's blend of tones from his stacked vocals and keyboards is more often strange and surprising.
  10. Consequence
    Apr 14, 2015
    75
    It’s easy to get caught up in the saccharine beats and hooks, but Angelakos has once again succeeded in making a powerful and accessible pop record about his deeply personal experiences.
  11. New Musical Express (NME)
    May 5, 2015
    70
    Even if there's still a sneaking suspicion Angelakos used up his very best tunes on 2008 debut EP 'Chunk Of Change', this dewy-eyed record sweeps you up in its joie de vivre all the same.
  12. Paste Magazine
    Apr 28, 2015
    70
    While Kindred remains meticulously and impressively crafted, it just doesn’t carry the same emotional weight.
  13. Drowned In Sound
    Apr 22, 2015
    70
    You may not get on board with it as quickly as Gossamer, but it possesses greater replay value. Angelakos has made an album celebrating stability, and it'll be interesting to see what happens next.
  14. Spin
    Apr 21, 2015
    70
    He’s both looking back and moving forward, attempting, successfully, to capture the nervous optimism of youth.
  15. musicOMH.com
    Apr 17, 2015
    70
    As Passion Pit albums go, it may not sound drastically different to what has gone before, but, nevertheless, it feels like a fresh start.
  16. The Line of Best Fit
    Apr 16, 2015
    70
    Kindred is a potent reminder of his prowess as a writer, delivered in a quick, forthright burst; it’s not the finest showcase for the sheer diversity he’s capable of as Passion Pit, but it does stake a claim--context considered--for his ongoing importance.
  17. Pitchfork
    Apr 22, 2015
    68
    It’s only 10 songs, and the songs themselves are more interested in speed and economy.
  18. Magnet
    Jun 4, 2015
    60
    Kindred is fun, but best in small, sugary doses. [No. 120, p.59]
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  19. Q Magazine
    May 6, 2015
    60
    One to be enjoyed in small doses. [Jun 2015, p.110]
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  20. No Ripcord
    May 4, 2015
    60
    Kindred’s arrangements are a heap of disjointed sound fragments glued into a form that exists solely to support the glossy veneer.
  21. NOW Magazine
    Apr 23, 2015
    60
    It's the lyrical shift that propels the album in a new direction that will be hard to appreciate amongst throngs of festival-goers. That's what the sugary hooks are for.
  22. The Guardian
    Apr 16, 2015
    60
    There’s a heartbeat underneath the saccharine mania for sure, but Angelakos seems reluctant to let us hear it.
  23. Rolling Stone
    Apr 21, 2015
    50
    Standouts [are] "Where the Sky Hangs" and "My Brother Taught Me How to Swim." But much of the rest of Kindred is so relentlessly up, it starts to feel suffocating.
  24. Slant Magazine
    Apr 20, 2015
    30
    Unfortunately, Kindred only loses the plot further, entrenching itself in a sonically limited pop vocabulary (starchy synth lines; bristling, reverb-doused percussion; and huge, multi-tracked choruses) that's even further away from the chaotic chemistry of his debut.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 48 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 48
  3. Negative: 7 out of 48
  1. imthenoob
    Apr 22, 2015
    8
    Started listening to them through Prime music and was so glad when this album was put on there. Easily their best work and they are one of fewStarted listening to them through Prime music and was so glad when this album was put on there. Easily their best work and they are one of few bands around who hit major strides with each release they put out. It's sadly only 10 tracks but each one is very like-able.… Full Review »
  2. Jzwimmer
    Apr 21, 2015
    10
    I'm very disappointed thus far in what many critics have said about this new record from Passion Pit. I realize there are also plenty ofI'm very disappointed thus far in what many critics have said about this new record from Passion Pit. I realize there are also plenty of positive reviews from critics, but there are still some truly scathing reviews, which are really mind-boggling and disheartening to me.

    Here's why: For the first time in his career, Michael Angelakos has crafted a genuinely cohesive collection of songs that serve up his instantly recognizable brand of euphorically sweet and passionate electro-pop. There are no truly bad songs here, despite what many critics have said. Some are better than others, obviously, but none of them are deserving of harsh scorn. In a similar but markedly different vein of its ambitious predecessor, "Gossamer", the songs on "Kindred" are introspectively-oriented and personal, focusing on important relationships and feelings of guilt, confusion, and the desire to get away from the chaos of everything. However, where some of the songs on "Gossamer" got lyrically stuck in a cage of melancholia, the songs on "Kindred" aren't afraid to express feelings of optimism alongside the darker stuff. This is exemplified best by the opening and closing tracks here, "Lifted Up (1985)" and "Ten Feet Tall (II)", respectively. The opener is a dazzlingly direct anthem of love and gratitude dedicated to Angelakos' wife, pulsating with an energetic earnestness that feels less like a head-banging dance club and more like a top-down road trip in the middle of June, hands dancing above heads in the summer air. "Ten Feet Tall (II)" opens with a whimsically vibrant synthesizer riff that builds into a headstrong rhythm which underscores lyrics regarding how Angelakos simply wants to be alone, if only for a short while. "Where the Sky Hangs" is a pleasantly simple tune with a noticeable jazz influence and a relaxed bass, complete with tinkling bell riffs, warmly syncopated synth chords, and some bright strings near the end. Other highlights include the glowing and inspiring swells of the slow-burning beauty, "Dancing on the Grave", and the impeccably gorgeous melody and soundscape of "Looks Like Rain". Michael's angelic falsetto throughout these songs is emotive, expressive, and most notably, more restrained than it has been in the past. His singing sometimes sounds a bit too thin, but it always sounds authentic. The closing song here has proven to be polarizing, but I love it. Angelakos modifies his voice on it with strong auto-tune, and it's very effective. It has the impact of liberating Angelakos, showing that he is taking complete control of his own life and sound. He is beginning to take flight, hoping to reach new and unimaginable heights.

    Overall, this album is excellent, combining a striking sense of efficiency with an effortless ability to capture some emotional realities of life. Any hindrances this album has are due to the formulaic pop structures of its songs, which do sometimes leave little strides of creativity to be desired. Also, the lyrics could be slightly more effective, as they occasionally employ too much repetition. But Passion Pit has created a fantastic electro-pop album here, one that explodes on the listener and immediately saturates them in clouds of glitter and sparkling honesty. It's an exuberant statement from an impressively talented man. Go buy "Kindred" in a store or download it from iTunes, and don't forget to dance.    … Full Review »
  3. khutch
    Apr 22, 2015
    8
    Great work as well as his previous works, maybe not so fun as Gossamer or consistent as Manners, but finds the balance between both. PassionGreat work as well as his previous works, maybe not so fun as Gossamer or consistent as Manners, but finds the balance between both. Passion Pit may not have been a huge step with Kindred, but certainly gave one.… Full Review »
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