Foster The People gained attention when their song “Pumped Up Kicks” went viral in 2010. That song made it onto their debut album, Torches, along with other catchy indie pop songs. It was a success for this long-struggling trio. Fronted by Mark Foster as lead vocalist and songwriter, the songs are accented with Cubbie Fink on bass and Mark Pontius on drums. On Supermodel, the pressure has been raised. Foster keeps the catchy melodies coming while also integrating indie credibility with Afrobeat sensibilities.
Upbeat melodies belie the sense of disappointment and frustration in the lyrics. The songs ask questions with undertones of youthful expectations: “So are you what you want to be?” and “Is this the life you've been waiting for/Or are you hoping that you'll be where you want with a little more?” And then there’s the uncertainty of facing the answers. “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.” Rather than let the fear get them down, the music inspires a more optimistic and hopeful future. “The truth stands in the end/While you're deciding what to do.” (Columbia)
