ON THE RIGHT BY ABBY GILMAN DESIGN TERYN HAMMES TRACK PHOTO COURTESTY OF JASON NOCITO everything is being played right and sounding the way it should and that it will work on stage,” Hultquist continues. “And that’s a big dance-ready sound of Gossamer deal because that doesn’t always translate. It takes some practice and some experimenting to make sure we get this right.” Bro’d out druggies snorted unidenti!able the soundtrack for box o$ce hit “"e Twilight A keen ear can note the subtle di#erences in powders from tin cans and were guided to Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part II,” performed “Constant Conversations,” “I’ll Be Alright,” and another world by Michael Angelakos’ soaring album standouts “Take A Walk” and “Carried “Live To Tell "e Tale,” three songs rearranged voice and band of bouncing synths. "e sweat Away” on “Saturday Night Live” in October for the stage. In fact, “I’ll Be Alright” is a weighed down Angelakos’ Greek mop of curls and headlined the legendary Madison Square complete departure from the version that and turned his shirt a deeper shade of purple Garden earlier this month. appears on Chunk Of Change, the band’s as he amped the sea of hands a few thousand personal-turned-success-vehicle debut EP, but deep. "en relatively under the radar, Passion Gossamer, the band’s second full-length e#ort, it’s the live song Hultquist is most proud of. Pit made its Lollapalooza debut in an easily opens on a high note with the surging single overlooked afternoon slot on a side stage with “Take A Walk,” one of the earlier releases and “On My Way” acts as the !nal scene in this an unmastered EP and freshly released label more successful singles. It’s one of the most messy love story and it’s the closest to happily- full-length under its belt. feel-good and light-hearted songs on the ever-after we’re given. "e title’s dizzying release, portraying the current state of the introduction and anthemic hook parallel Two years down the road much has changed: economy and the modern American family the author’s history; it’s an auditory roller Angelakos’ ‘do has been cut and cropped, a rather than Angelakos’ intrapersonal struggles. coaster on which Angelakos pleads “We’re massive pink backdrop of the band’s latest “Constant Conversations” o#ers Angelakos’ both so broken, done long hoping/Is that we’ll album’s artwork decorates the main stage e#ervescent voice %oating above a simple, stumble upon our love again/Just believe in in Grant Park, and the sea of hands grew to in the out!t’s terms, blend of synths, claps me, Kristina/All these demons, I can beat include more than 60,000 individuals despite and whoa-oh-ohs and a seemingly hazy !lter ‘em/I’m on my way.” the band’s uncertain fate merely weeks earlier. masking the layers into a whole. "e slowed- down track breaks away from the poppy strobe Despite the sometimes-unstable future of the “It was kind of crazy because that came right synths of Manners, declaring this album is of a band, for now it seems all are in a good place. after our cancellations and we weren’t really di#erent league and corroborates Angelakos is “We’re happy with each other, we hang out all sure how we were going to be received,” a creative wunderkind. of the time. "ings are really good right now,” keyboardist Ian Hultquist says, referring to Hultquist says. Good enough that they packed the band’s return to the stage after abruptly Multiple songs on the LP are comprised 80 2013 with tour dates worldwide, including canceling a string of July shows on its 2012 to 120 tracks, a mathematical and creative slots on the Coachella and Lollapalooza Brazil national tour. conundrum when performing them on stage and Chile lineups. with !ve members. It took nearly a month and Along with the cancellations came a widely- each member doubling up on instruments— “It feels good; Our sound is actually !lling up publicized explanation: Frontman Angelakos Hultquist alone mans three keyboards and a arenas completely and [the band’s] grown a had been battling bipolar disorder and was guitar—for Gossamer to smoothly translate to natural amount,” Hultquist says. “We’re just committed to a hospital to get help. the stage where “our creative control lands,” going to keep this good thing going for as long Hultquist says. "ough Angelakos wrote and as possible.” “As his friend I’ve gone through the ups and performed the recorded album, the remainder downs with him for almost half a decade of the Cambridge-native out!t—comprised already; It’s just kind of another part of the Hultquist, Angelakos, Ayad Al Adhamy, story,” Hultquist says. Despite the then-faltering Je# Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer—make fate of the tour, the band is back on track and decisions on the stage, meeting with Angelakos moving ahead at full speed: "ey appeared on only to perfect the !nal product. “We make sure 20 | ethosmagazine.org 21.