ALBUM REVIEW : SUPERMODEL

Artist                                     :               FOSTER THE PEOPLE

Genre                                   :               POP

Date of Released             :               2014

This group had a major hit with “Pump Up Kicks” two years ago, thus it is just right to expect something good in this latest album from them.  The first song in the album “Are You What You Want To Be?” has an intro music similar to that of “Owner of the Lonely Heart” from Yes.  As soon as you hear the vocals, you will realize that this is not a rock album but a merging of musical styles.  The first song dictates what to expect from this record.

“Ask Yourself” started acoustically and after few bars it shift into grunge rock like music and in the middle it sounded like any Oasis song, especially the vocals.  This song just continued what the first is all about and this time, the group ask you to become reflective and see if you are indeed happy with what you have and what you are now.  “Coming of Age and Tabloid Super Junkie” is what you get when you merge new and glam rock; nice melody drum work that has 60’s vibe that you want to perform mash potato dance step.  In “Nevermind”, the group bungled what is supposed to be an interesting song by singing it without passion.  It feels like they are just mumbling the words and waste lyrics like:

“Never mind what you’re looking for; You’ll always find what you’re looking for; Sometimes it’s blinding in the race; But, I’ll be here smiling when I see your face.” Now, “Pseudologia Fantastica” reminds of a Tears for Fears song which is “Sowing the Seeds of Love;” you know putting altogether familiar chord structures of “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club” songs.  “Best Friend” has seventies groove and lots of falsetto singing.  The lyrics is quite surprising as it did not talk about how good best friends are but rather on how would you act when your best friends are highly strung.

At first I thought I misread the song title which is “Goats in the Trees” and I felt that it should be ghosts instead of goats.  But when you listen to the whole song, you wonder if this song was born out psychedelic moments due to drugs.  The song is hypnotic though but with some stupid lyrics.  It is quite hard to follow what the song is all about.  “The Truth” begins with EDM tripping and followed with anthemic drum program and low register vocals.  The trick works considering talks about trying to get out of what others think about you and escaped being pigeon holed based on their opinions.

The album indeed has several good songs which you can listen very often.  The songs in this album are more on personal level instead of radio friendly.  With that I rate this record 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Ratings Description:

1 star = Ignore it

2 stars= risk it

3 stars = borrow or buy it

4 stars = buy it and keep it

5 = buy, keep, and treasure it