“It’s a mature, introspective compilation that questions life and materialism but still finds the vitality and levity that defined the band in its debut.” — Brianna Patterson

 

It’s been almost three years since Foster the People took over mainstream airwaves with the insanely catchy, yet subtly morbid summer anthem “Pumped Up Kicks.” The dance-pop song, which allegedly was written about a school shooting, set the tone for the trio’s debut album, Torches, an upbeat and cohesive project filled with catchy choruses, bouncing synthesizers and danceable melodies.

Now the trio is back with its angsty, rock-influenced sophomore album, Supermodel. It’s a mature, introspective compilation that questions life and materialism but still finds the vitality and levity that defined the band in its debut.

Supermodel takes a different tone from Torches, leaving behind the synth-pop that characterized the latter. The heavy guitars and grungy bass lines in songs such as “Ask Yourself” bring an edge to the band’s former pop persona.

The instrumentals are experimental, as on the album opener “Are You What You Want to Be?,” which laces African-inspired percussion throughout the song in a style similar to Vampire Weekend’s world music. Like an indie rock dream sequence, “Pseudologia Fantastica” has an airy synth cadence over an undulating bass line, creating a trippy melody colored by frontman Mark Foster’s falsettos.

In an unexpected role reversal, “A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon” samples a snippet from A$AP Rocky’s 2013 track “LVL” and develops it into a grunge guitar rhythm.

Foster, a former jingle writer, once again tries his hand at turning serious concepts into fun dance hits — just as he did with “Pumped Up Kicks.” The track “Best Friend” has a funky ’60s pop-rock feel with horns and a catchy chorus about helping a companion who is strung out on drugs.

While Foster deploys his signature falsetto throughout the album, he also takes risks, entering ranges it wasn’t previously clear he had on several songs. Hearing him practically yell the lyrics to the angry “A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon” is like hearing a librarian use his or her outside voice for the first time. Foster also delves into the deeper register of his range on the ballad “Goats In Trees.”

Though the album gets a bit dreary toward the end — finishing off with three ballads in a row — closing track “Fire Escape,” a beautiful acoustic ballad about growing up in Los Angeles, is among the album’s most emotionally revealing.

The theme of questioning oneself and society is consistent throughout the album. “Is this the life you’ve been waiting for?/ Or are you hoping that you’ll be where you want with a little more?” Foster croons on “Ask Yourself.”

The title Supermodel is fitting, as the songs generally critique the shallowness of consumer society. The album’s weighty themes attempt to prove there’s more substance to Foster the People than the one single that has defined them thus far — a sign of the band’s continuing evolution.

Foster the People could have easily created a Torches sequel and chased the success of “Pumped Up Kicks.” But with Supermodel, the band takes a leap forward and moves on from its big hit. The result is a refined outing that demands to be taken seriously.

“I can’t write the same song twice,” Foster said in an interview with Time magazine. “It would have been so boring to try and make a second Torches.”

And Supermodel is anything but boring. It’s diverse, risky and edgy. It’s proof of the band’s true musical talent, a statement to the world that they are capable of more than just a summer pop-hit.