Manners

"Manners," the debut album from the Boston-based electro-pop outfit Passion Pit, is a charming combination of danceable synth grooves, falsetto shouts and infectious vocal hooks. Even though the quintet's buzzed-about "Chunk of Change" EP was released last fall, "Manners" already shows tightened production and fine-tuned vocals. The anthemic "Little Secrets" is heavy on the distorted synths, while "Folds in Your Hands" holds a drum-machine beat and hand claps under sparse glockenspiel hits. Much of the fun comes from the peppy multivoiced choruses—sometimes sung by kids—that make themselves the centerpiece in nearly every song, although some of the lyrics tend to get lost in the chaos. But even when that happens, it can be hard not to sing along.