Story by Nick Jones / Contributing Writer
Formed in 2009, the indie rock trio Foster the People exudes an electronic pop-rock sound. This sound is exhibited in their first two LP’s “Torches” and “Supermodel.” The band is widely known for their 2011 single “Pumped Up Kicks.” With their latest work, Foster the People sticks to their modern electronic sound.
The band’s third LP “Sacred Hearts Club” displays a familiar sound following their two prior albums. If you are a fan of Foster the People, this newest album has the potential to leave you appeased. Throughout the record, you can tell that the band wants to keep the sound they have brought to the world of music. While not switching your style often works for bands, Foster the People’s sound did not resonate with me personally.
While listening through the album, the flow from song to song was not prominent and seem scattered in a way. Although some songs individually sound like something I could listen to on a regular day, all in all, the album did not seem to go together well. Overall, the album sounded similar to their first two LP’s which is sometimes off-putting. The use of the same sound from their previous projects shows a lack of evolution with their music.
However, Foster the People’s psychedelic album may be a journey in itself to some people. Listening to Mark Foster singing “I Love My Friends” takes you back to a time when you felt carefree and thought you were invincible. Throughout the album, each song becomes progressively more upbeat and electronic. For example, the more rhythmic song “Loyal Like Sid & Nancy” is one of the faster paced songs on their album. However, the minute long song “Time to Get Closer” showcases the potential diversity of the band by slowing down the pace of the music and deliver what feels like a personal message that some people may relate to.
Mark Foster, while being an outstanding musician, does not really demonstrate any form of progression with his newer attempts to get a significant place on the charts. All in all, the album has a decent sound to listen to, however, it does not have the potential to be an everyday listen.
Overall, the album “Sacred Hearts Club” seemed scattered at times. The lack of flow between songs is disappointing with this album. However, some songs I found interesting and, at times, insightful. The most interesting aspect of the album that I enjoyed was the song “Orange Dream” which acts as an instrumental break in the exact middle of the album. Despite that aspect, the rest of the album seemed a bit meaningless and lacked structure.
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