The Argus

The Student News Site of Gresham High School

The Argus

The Argus

Polls

What is the best way to eliminate vaping in the restrooms?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Foster the People continues to spark listeners’ attention

SupermodelOne of Foster The People’s best qualities is their originality. Their titles are eye catching, their lyrics are creative and their style never ceases to be anything but their own. All of this was true with their first album, Torches and remains true with their newest album, Supermodel.

Although the band is best known for an indie-rock and alternative style, this album brings home a new psychedelic feel that meshes surprisingly well. It stands as yet another reason for listeners to give Foster The People a chance.

Supermodel opens with the song, “Are You What You Want To Be”. Though the song is a longer one at well over four minutes, not uncommon for Foster, it is still well worth the listen. It raises the simple question asked to listeners in the title.

They open with a few na na na’s, eventually leading into a rapid verse that depicts examples of why they are questioning themselves. The song discusses self confrontation and the fear of not meeting those expectations, as shown in the lyrics, “Well I’m afraid of saying too much and ending a martyr/But even more so I’m afraid to face god and say I was a coward.”

Mark Foster, the lead singer, asks himself in this song what is worse: dying now for something important, or dying later anyway and having to face the consequences of cowardice. The concept, while not new, is interesting and explored in a unique way.

From only the first song it is obvious that this band is still delving into a never-ending, creative thought process. They manage to maintain lyrics that are detailed, ones that are meant to be dissected rather than brushed off, which is another nice quality of Foster: they make people listen to what they are saying. Their songs are often catchy, but frequently not at the expense of meaning and depth.

The album ranges from strong and upbeat to slow and somber. It deals with a lot of questions about self worth, and how such a thing is measured. Another good example of this is the song “Fire Escape”.

“Fire Escape” is awfully bleak, but far from insincere. It talks about the dreary growth of Los Angeles from the point of view of an old fire escape–hence the name. The chorus only consists of two words, though they manage to leave a haunting impression with Mark Foster saying, “Save yourself, save yourself.”

The song is a gritty depiction of the sad ends that many meet in the popular city, despite the glamour that is often coupled with the name. The song has soft vocals and a serene sound, that only adds to the somewhat pensive tone.

The overall feel of the album is satisfying one, even if the lyrics tend to be dark and questioning. As Foster The People have a habit of being both catchy and inventive, it is no doubt that they will be catching new fans with Supermodel.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All The Argus Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *