The Reeling
Encyclopedia
"The Reeling" is a song by American electronic
band Passion Pit
. It was released in May 2009 as the first single from the band's debut album Manners
.
Generally well-received by music critics, the single entered the Billboard
Alternative Songs chart in September 2009. In the UK, the single originally peaked at #137, but was re-issued in January 2010, where it performed slightly better at #99. With this improved showing, the record company then re-issued "Sleepyhead" in March 2010.
A music video
for the song premiered in April 2009. It depicts a carefree night on the town and uses ripped-paper visual effects. A remixed version of "The Reeling" was used on the trailer for the fourth season of Skins.
praised the song's vocals and beats, and called it "unquestionably one of the greatest songs of 2009."
Emily Kendrick of This Is Fake DIY
noted the song's exuberance and compared it vocally to the Bee Gees
.
Louise Brailey of NME
said the song's opening "sounds weirdly like an
old-school hardcore breakdown, before collapsing into starry disco-pop."
Mike Diver of Clash
magazine said the song "combine[s] elements of the purest pop with compositional playfulness."
Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine
credits the song's ability, along with album track "Moth's Wings," to combine decades worth of "party music" genres, including disco
, house
, rave
, and 1980s rock
.
Zach Kelly of Pitchfork Media
described the song as sweet and earnest, adding that listeners "won't remember it the next morning, but it probably earned a grin the night before."
Andrzej Lukowski of Drowned in Sound
called the song "quite annoying," though he gave the album a favorable review overall.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
band Passion Pit
Passion Pit
Passion Pit is an American electropop band from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The group, which formed in 2007, consists of Michael Angelakos , Ian Hultquist , Ayad Al Adhamy , Jeff Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer...
. It was released in May 2009 as the first single from the band's debut album Manners
Manners (album)
Manners is the debut studio album by American electropop band Passion Pit. It was released in the United States on May 19, 2009 by Frenchkiss Records and Columbia Records. "The Reeling" was released as the album's lead single on May 11, 2009, and its music video premiered on YouTube on April 21, 2009...
.
Generally well-received by music critics, the single entered the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Alternative Songs chart in September 2009. In the UK, the single originally peaked at #137, but was re-issued in January 2010, where it performed slightly better at #99. With this improved showing, the record company then re-issued "Sleepyhead" in March 2010.
A music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song premiered in April 2009. It depicts a carefree night on the town and uses ripped-paper visual effects. A remixed version of "The Reeling" was used on the trailer for the fourth season of Skins.
Critical reception
Lou Thomas of the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
praised the song's vocals and beats, and called it "unquestionably one of the greatest songs of 2009."
Emily Kendrick of This Is Fake DIY
This Is Fake DIY
This Is Fake DIY is a United Kingdom-based music webzine dedicated to alternative music. It is named after a song by the Scottish alternative rock group Bis....
noted the song's exuberance and compared it vocally to the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
.
Louise Brailey of NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
said the song's opening "sounds weirdly like an
old-school hardcore breakdown, before collapsing into starry disco-pop."
Mike Diver of Clash
Clash (magazine)
Clash is a popular music and fashion magazine based in the United Kingdom. Its magazine title is published 12 times a year. It has a circulation of around 40,000....
magazine said the song "combine[s] elements of the purest pop with compositional playfulness."
Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
credits the song's ability, along with album track "Moth's Wings," to combine decades worth of "party music" genres, including disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, rave
Rave music
Rave music may either refer the late 1980s genre or any genre of electronic dance music that may be played at an electronic dance party such as a rave. Very rarely, the term is used to refer to less electronic related genres glam, powerpop, psychedelic rock and dub music parties...
, and 1980s rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
.
Zach Kelly of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
described the song as sweet and earnest, adding that listeners "won't remember it the next morning, but it probably earned a grin the night before."
Andrzej Lukowski of Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
called the song "quite annoying," though he gave the album a favorable review overall.
Chart performance
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... |
42 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 137 |
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs | 34 |
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
| UK Singles Chart | 99 |