It’s called the difficult second album for a reason, as Foster The People have discovered on the uneven ‘Supermodel’.
The band’s debut, ‘Torches’, was a summer’s breeze of a record, all natty pop hooks and alluring electro, with a nice line in mild subversion thrown in for good measure. It was one of the success stories of 2011, and deservedly so.
When Coming Of Age, this album’s lead single, surfaced at the start of this year along with an ambitious, creative time-lapse video, it appeared that they had a tailor-made follow up in the can.
On further investigation though, that impression doesn’t last long. Where ‘Torches’ was precise and perfectly executed, ‘Supermodel’ spills over, its many stylish moments lost in a flood of ideas. They haven’t quite disappeared into the same prog hole that swallowed MGMT, but they have lost their way a little.
Dabbling in choral vocals, waves of synth noise and more free-form song structures, the band have found a middle ground that doesn’t really suit anyone. The pop leanings are still present but they take much longer to find, while any experimental passages will do nothing for those who like their music with a side order of noodling.
There are moments of brilliance here - the guitar solo on A Beginner’s Guide To Destroying The Moon or the strutting chorus of Best Friend - but they're not enough. The desire to broaden horizons has put the brakes on many bands, and Foster The People will have to fight to ensure they’re not one of them.
Foster The People Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Mon March 24 2014 - LONDON Troxy
Thu June 26 2014 - MANCHESTER Ritz
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