Supermodel is the follow up to the 2011 smash hit breakthrough album Torches from Foster the People. When you have a hit as big as Pumped Up Kicks from that record, it really puts the pressure on to deliver a better than good sophomore release.
Foster the People have taken their time to carefully craft their second album, one that has safely ensured they haven’t succumbed to ‘second album syndrome’. They’ve gone to pains to not replicate their debut album and there’s no Pumped Up Kicks to be found. However, there are a lot of quality songs and a fair few potential hits.
Lead single Coming of Age is instantly familiar, likeable, and complete with a chorus that sweeps you up into a feel-good frenzy. While it’s not likely to be used on every ad for the next two years, it is a markedly better song than Pumped Up Kicks.
When listening to the entire album, it’s evident how much the band has grown. Their songwriting is far more advanced and the band has taken risks and breaks away from the indie pop blueprint and experimented more. The vocals are less shouty and a lot smoother with Mark Foster’s vocal ability more on show.
The brilliantly titled Pseudologia Fantastica is another gem, with soaring vocals throughout the chorus and electro-pop influences throughout. Best Friend is the closest song to their old material, sounding a little like a more polished version of Call It What You Want.
It’s been three years since Torches, and these Californians have delivered a sensational follow up.
BY ALEXANDER CROWDEN
Best Track: Coming of Age
If You Like These, You’ll Love This: Gypsy & THE CAT, GOLD FIELDS, THE HOLIDAYS
In A Word: Uplifting
