Released on March 18 by Columbia Records, Foster the People’s second album, Supermodel, is a progressive record in its own right, but it does not completely diverge from 2011’s hit-heavy debut, Torches.
Foster the People burst onto the airwaves with their single “Pumped Up Kicks” in 2010. The band further grabbed the attention of listeners and critics around the world as it produced hit after hit, including singles “Helena Beat,” “Call It What You Want,” “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)” and “Houdini”.
“Coming of Age,” the first single on Supermodel, captures the catchy atmosphere of Torches while serving as a warning that Foster the People is no one-hit wonder.
“I try to live without regrets / I’m always moving forward and not looking back,” Mark Foster sings on the track, leading a band now truly coming into its own.
Overall, the songs featured on Supermodel feel more like contributors to a cohesive album instead of the stand-alone-single feel of nearly every individual track on Torches, the majority of which have received significant radio play.
That being said, Supermodel has its fair share of single-worthy songs, while shying away from the electro-pop sound that defined Foster the People’s debut album.
Album opener “Are You What You Want to Be?” is a perfect example. Clearly influenced by Mark Foster’s time writing in Morocco, this fast-paced, soon-to-be-live favorite proves to be one of the band’s catchiest songs while daring to stray from the safety of its success to test new waters.
Synth-heavy “Pseudologia Fantastica,” a song about confronting the truth and making sacrifices is noticeably darker than all of the songs on Torches combined: “Don’t be afraid of the knife,” Foster assures. “Sometimes you have to cut the limb to survive.”
“Best Friend,” one of the first songs off on Supermodel to reach listeners’ ears and one of the band’s easiest to dance to, features a pulsing bass and showcases Foster’s well-known knack for writing undeniably infectious choruses.
However, songs like the distorted “A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon” set this album apart from Torches and the band from its peers. Kicked off with a sample of an A$AP Rocky track, “A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying Moon” is shockingly edgy, showing off a different side of Foster the People that may catch fans of singles like “Pumped Up Kicks” and “Houdini” off guard. About album track “Nevermind,” Billboard points out that:
“Title notwithstanding, this mid-tempo mix of acoustic guitar and bumping drums is no Nirvana homage.”
Even so, it is adventurous, perhaps the greatest departure from the sound of the band’s debut.
Whereas Torches ended with a bang, Supermodel ends with a whisper.
“Fire Escape” is the most intimate of the band’s songs thus far. It starts off, as Mark Foster described, as “looking through the eyes of what [the building where he used to live] had seen over the last hundred years” while juxtaposing his and Los Angeles’s developments.
So why change a perfectly good sound? Torches skyrocketed Foster the People to the attention of music fans and critics everywhere, soundtracking advertisements and backyard parties since its release.
For the band, it did not matter; all that mattered was creating something new and taking a step forward.
“It’s not the record that people are gonna expect us to release second,” Mark Foster told Rolling Stone at the end of last year.
“It’s definitely an evolution for us, and it’s a more polarizing record for us, so I’m excited to see how it’s received, for better or worse,” he added.
A polarizing record it has been. While some have hailed Supermodel as a daring and successful leap, other publications such as Rolling Stone, which gave the album 2/5 stars, claim that it is a flop.
“Passion Pit without the passion, Imagine Dragons without imagination,” claimed Rolling Stone critic Christopher R. Weingarten.
On the contrary, with the release of its sophomore album, Foster the People has proven itself worthy of all of the hype, and its willingness to experiment has certainly paid off.
Catch Foster the People when it tours the U.S. this spring. This includes a headlining slot at the Sweetlife Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion on Saturday, May 10 alongside acts such as Lana Del Rey, Fitz & the Tantrums, Bastille and 2 Chainz.
