Album Review: 'Supermodel' by Foster The People
- sarahkloepple
- Mar 20, 2014
- 3 min read
It’s been almost three years since the indie rock band, Foster the People, dropped its debut album, “Torches,” in 2011. Critics were quick to dub the trio a one-hit wonder after the deceivingly catchy “Pumped Up Kicks” graced the radio waves.
Well, I refuse to believe that. And I think frontman Mark Foster agrees. During my senior year of high school (that was, like, two years ago), I devoured “Torches.” The tracks continuously played in my car, as well as my headphones, until my friends were hopeless against their hipster charm.
So much so that I convinced two of them to road trip to Chicago with me over the summer to see them live. And to this day, it is the best concert I’ve been to. (Fun fact: It’s also the most memorable road trip. We ran out of gas on the way back, which I didn’t think was possible in a Prius. So we had to wait on the side of the highway while one of my friend’s dad walked half a mile to get gas. Pictured below.)
So, yeah, that was interesting. But let’s back up. The concert was a musical awakening for me: the crowd was pumped, I was smashed next to complete strangers and the music was spectacular.
I overloaded my phone with videos of every song (my favorites being “Houdini” and “Broken Jaw”) and sang every lyric so loudly that it just turned into shouting. It all led up to a shower of colorful confetti when the band closed with, of course, “Pumped Up Kicks.”
I bought a shirt and everything. It was definitely worth the trip.
So it’s safe to say I had high expectations for this sophomore album from one of my favorite bands, the one I credit for inspiring me to pay more attention to alternative music.
"Supermodel" wasn’t what I expected. Gone is the fluffy exuberance from Mark Foster’s lyrics (i.e. "Ooh la la, I’m fallin’ in love and it’s better this time than ever before"), the uplifting beats and, my favorite, the xylophone notes.
Sure, “Torches” was laced with a little darkness — “Pumped Up Kicks” was about a school shooting after all, but it was too damn catchy for us to notice it right away. But “Supermodel” undoubtedly takes a gloomier turn. Mark Foster is obviously wrestling with some demons.
"Is this the life you’ve been waiting for?" and "I buried all my wrongs there with my youth" are just a sample of the introspective lyrics of which Foster writes (from "Ask Yourself" and "Goats in Trees," respectively).
The songs have those same eclectic instrumental beats, and Foster’s unusually (not in a bad way) high-pitched voice is the same as ever. There’s even a lighter track in the set list that reminds me of “Torches.” The single, “Best Friend,” is another catchy, infectious tune with subject matter (overdosing on drugs) that doesn’t call for it. But it’s the track that forces me to hit “replay” over and over again.
So it’s obvious that Foster and the rest of the gang worked hard to put out this album. They’ve been touring around the world when they haven’t been in the studio, and I think they followed up “Torches” with a worthy second record.
"Supermodel" is definitely a different kind of sound for the band. I admit, I raised an eyebrow when I listened to it the first time through. But by the third time, I felt like I understood it better. I know most reviews I’ve read, like ones from Rolling Stone and SPIN, have dubbed this album unoriginal and disappointing, but I just don’t see it.
Best tracks: "Ask Yourself," "Best Friend," "Goats in Trees," "The Truth"
