On my first listen of Foster The People’s Supermodel, I wasn’t quite sure how I felt. It was evident that the band put a lot of care into the recording and producing of the tracks, and while the music was certainly solid, I couldn’t shake the feeling of uncertainty. What’s going on here? Naturally, in times of musical trouble, I started the album from the beginning. That’s when it hit me.

Supermodel is an elaborate ode to apathy. It is the musical equivalent of Catcher in the Rye, a not-exactly-depressed perspective on the emptiness of human existence. And, while that may be a heavy subject for an album, let alone an album review, Foster the People has succeeded in tantalizing this emptiness with expert musical prowess.

The album sucks you right in with the enchanting “na-na-na” melody of “Are You What You Want To Be?” Once you’re there, the rhetorical-question title of the song drives its message home, causing you to question your own judgments, your own decisions, your own motivations. But this effect is subtle, almost lost in the calming melodies and upbeat tempo.

These ideas carry through to the next two songs, “Ask Yourself” and “Coming of Age.” While distinct, both disguise deep lyrical themes amidst uptempo melodic hooks. “Coming of Age,” the leading single for the album, almost sounds like it could be a U2 song, with Mark Foster’s long bellowing vocals floating over a synthesizer-heavy background.  You can listen to the song for yourself, below:

The apathetic idea may pervade this album, accounting for my initial lethargy, yet their musical approach varies from track to track. Some songs maintain an electronic orientation, like “Psuedologia Fantastica” or “A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying The Moon.” These two songs (amongst others) are particularly synthesizer-driven, relying on synth effects for musical intrigue. On the other hand, the album has its rock and roll moments too. Songs like “Nevermind,” with its Spanish-style guitar melody, and “Best Friend,” an upbeat rocker, show the diversity of Foster the People.

All in all, Supermodel is a very solid album. The band certainly put a lot of work into the production values (the release was delayed from last year), but high production doesn’t necessarily translate to high song quality. Some of the songs towards the end start to drag, including “The Truth” and “Fire Escape.” I will admit that I skipped the second-half of “Fire Escape” (on my second listen-thru), simply because the whole stripped-down-guitar-and-vocals motif felt a bit overdone. That’s not to say it’s bad, perhaps a bit repetitive, but, I can imagine a song like “Fire Escape,” in isolation, would greatly accentuate a movie score or an emotional moonlit drive. 

Anyway, go listen to Supermodel by Foster the People and let us know what you think!

-David Melamed (@DMelamz)

PS Isn’t this cover-artwork mural phenomenal? It took ten days to finish: