Foster the People: Supermodel
‘A kaleidoscope of snapshots, mixing ‘pop’ with eclectic ‘indie jams’
and techno beats.’ If you asked me to describe this album in one sentence; that
is what I would go with, this album is a collection of snapshots pasted together
in an album. Although you would expect this to mean that the album makes for
difficult listening due to it’s mixed and diverse choice of songs, it instead
has created an album that changes and keeps you listening right to the end. So,
with no more waiting, here is the review!
If you have listened to previous albums, Supermodel does seem to
rest on the same template as ‘Torches.’ The genres of the songs seem to blend
and mix perfectly creating a whirl of different songs emulating a number of
different meanings based on different situations and contexts. I’d describe the overall genre as
euphoric pop and most of the tracks are the stereotypical mix of synths, pop
melodies, guitar distortion; however a number of tracks escape this the first
being ‘Fire Escape', a stripped back and acoustic style song that reminds me of
summer. I can imagine sitting with a group of friends, listening to this song,
sipping a chilled beer and laughing, absolute perfection. However many of the
songs take on a deeper meaning. Songs range from being dependant on war and it’s
effects and politics such as the effect of capitalism. One thing that didn’t
sit quite right with me (in association with this) which was a shame was the
song ‘Pseudologia, Fantastica.’ It is said to describe a war veteran who has
returned to his family however he is suffering from PTSD. The problem with the
song is that the uplifting use of instrumentation doesn’t quite fit with the
dark tones and themes explored in the song and that is a shame as it has the
potential to be a brilliant and standout song. However the album shows an
improved development and I thought showed the maturity of the band through the
themes that they ultimately have explored. These include the ‘A Beginner’s
guide to Destroying The Moon.’ This hints at the dark side of Capitalism and
the implications and the effect that this has on society. This is further shown
in the use of synths and jagged instrumentation from the rhythm guitar. It
seems that ‘Foster the People,’ have really, really, grown up and although the
songs still hint at their indie beginnings, there appears to be a different
side to the band that we haven’t really seen yet and I hope that the band
continues to grow and develop in their songs and albums to come.
The lead song, (which no doubt will be, or has been rocking the
charts) is ‘Coming of Age,’ and was pre-released before the rest of the album
and was used as an opening to create a hype! Many have described it as
resembling an early ‘Beach Boys,’ track. However this is definitely modernised
with the use of synths that mix with the guitar and the lilting voice of the
singer. The song is repetitive and jazzy and really sticks in your head; I am
an avid ‘toe tapper’, and this one definitely got my feet tapping along to the
beat. The song has a very summery vibe and does remind the listener of ‘Pumped
up Kicks.’ Also if you’re a fan of ‘Vampire Weekend,’ this could easily pass
for one of their songs, which is a good thing. The song is extremely catchy and
is dreamy however it could be representing the change in the bands music and
singing of the maturity that they have shown through this album. A second
showpiece song is ‘Best Friend’ it has a strong beat, mixed with guitar riffs
and descends into a riotous and wild mayhem of sounds. Lyrics include ‘Sometimes I swear I only dream in black and white.’
It is a fun and upbeat song that encourages the listener to jump about their
bedroom using a hairbrush as a microphone! One song that I think slightly
missed the beat was ‘Fire Escape.’ It is a syrupy song, which uses acoustic
guitar, a choir chorus, and two glockenspiels. Although I was a fan of the song
it is a little too gleeful and cheerful meaning that it doesn’t quite mesh with
the rest of the noir style album. Lyrics include ‘I see the seasons change/All
the young faces come and replace the dying ones.’ It’s not a badly written or
produced song it just doesn’t appear to match the rest of the album and seems
to be an attempt to re-create the hype that surrounded ‘Pumped Up Kicks, but it
appears that it has somehow missed the mark which is a shame. Probably my
favourite track on the album was the first song and that is ‘Are you what you
want to be?’ It is a song that meshes cross-rhythms from the drums and the
guitar with a background of ‘na, na, na’s.’ It is a brilliant song that pulls
the listener in and makes them really listen to the lyrics! Perfect for casual
easy listening!
Foster apparently said of the album that ‘Supermodel
has no ‘monster,’ and what he means by this is that the album does not have the
have a song that resembles or reciprocates the huge popularity of ‘Pumped up
Kicks.’ But this doesn’t affect the overall collation of the album; it is a
collection of snapshots that lead to an overall pleasing listen!
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