Every person reading this article probably remembers bobbing their heads in 2011 to the hit ‘pumped up kicks’ by Foster the People. Well, the band is back at it again with a fresh album called Supermodel. The Grammy-nominated artists have found a variety of new sounds, and it is different from what I’m sure you were expecting (myself included).
Album art for Foster the People’s ‘Supermodel.’
Pop music today is harder to classify with the advancements of instrumentals and technology, but Foster the People give you a decent variation of pop genre sounds with their new album Supermodel. Remember the days when music categorization was vastly easy to label? Man, do I miss those days sometimes. But at the same time, what artists have executed, developed, and put to the test in the past 10 years is quite remarkable in the music industry. Foster the People have proven the ability to transform and grow with Supermodel.
The first single, “Coming of age”, was promoted by releasing the album cover art for Supermodel through a seven-story mural music video on January 14th, 2014. The mural was painted in Los Angeles and took over ten days to complete. A creative approach to get yourself back out there, but “Coming of age” lacked to grasp the same amount of attention as “Pumped up kicks” and “Helena Beat.” Don’t lose hope though, the new album supplies everything that true indie pop lover’s desire.
It is somewhat ironic that the album starts off with a peppy, African tribal sounding piece called, ‘Are You What You Want to Be?’ Due to the fact that we all ask ourselves this same question, and I’m sure Foster the People queried that concept when it came to Supermodel. From there, the same conceptualization is driven through tracks, ‘Ask Yourself’ and ‘Coming of Age’. As you continue to listen you hear ‘Best Friends’ and this tune is a legitimate dance-club piece which supplied an almost disco/80’s pop feel. Essentially, the album starts off with a great experimental pop mix.
Unfortunately, as Supermodel progresses, it takes a slender downturn. Tracks such as, ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon’ along with ‘The Truth’, supply empty lyrics accompanied with perplexing instrumentation. But as you reach the end of the album you are warmed over by a smooth, delicate blanket to cover you at night with, ‘Fire Escape’ (don’t let the name mislead you). While the lyrics are fairly depressing, you still feel hope radiate from Mark Foster’s vocals. Delightful ending to the album.
For a band like Foster the People, who I always believed would be a one-hit wonder, this three-piece group has excelled to a distinct degree of diversity with their musicality. While Supermodel will probably not receive the same quantity of attention as Torches, it still views as strong in the range of what is considered quality pop music. The album can be comparable to the sounds of Vampire Weekend, Neon trees, and Artic Monkeys. Indie pop at its best, people. Enjoy.
