Album Review: Foster the People – Torches

Pumped Up Kicks was the song of the summer in 2011 – it could not be escaped from being on every time you turned on the radio or went in any shop. It was catchy and undeniably brilliant, but then Foster the People released their debut album Torches and all you could do was prey it would live up to the hype.

The second single off the album, Call It What You Want is just as boppy and can easily be added to your soundtrack of summer 2012 because you can close your eyes and almost convince yourself that the sun is indeed shining outside on the wettest of days.

Mark Foster, the guy that puts the Foster in Foster the People keeps his signature funky voice throughout but it is just that, consistent. Each song keeps the MGMT vibe that cannot be ignored. The indie/dance vibe becomes more evident the further the album progresses, but once Miss You comes into play the fusion begins to sound a bit desperate.

This album is a great pop album.  The melodies it presents don’t disappoint on the catchiness aspect, and they will definitely be stuck in your head. Mark shows off his talent of a professional jingle writer. Fittingly, the lyrics can become slightly unimaginative in places.

In all, if the context was to be simply playing it in the car on a sunny smiley day, Torches is the perfect album to keep your spirits up.