Foster the People - Torches

Fresh out of Los Angeles, CA Foster the People have arrived on the scene with their debut release, Torches. The trio have crafted a high energy, electro infused album that is primed and ready for the fleeting days of summer and for whatever event you have planned that requires music to be played!

The disc kicks off with my favorite song off the album "Helena Beat", a bombastic, high energy electro infused track that reveals the vocal chops of Mark Foster (originally I thought a woman was singing in the group, but obviously that's not the case), who does a great job of navigating his vocals through the terrain of synthesizers and keys omnipresent at every turn. The next song is the inescapable summer jam of 2011, "Pumped Up Kicks", a fantastic, laid back synth jam that features Mark's vocals once again doing an impeccable job all throughout and the instrumentation just takes its course naturally right until the very end, a truly terrific song. "Don't Stop (Color on The Walls)" makes brilliant use of the guitars, which sound more evident and prominent this time around and help the synth sounds echo throughout the song and ring in your ears after hearing it. "Waste" is another solid track that continues to lean in a synth-heavy direction with Mark's wonderful vocals blending in nicely with the thick and diverse instrumentation set forth here.

The disc second half continues on with the dance floor ready "Houdini" an energetic, fast paced dance track that is sure to get your summer dance party off to an incredible start with an array of vivacious rhythms and synth heavy melodies that will both get you on the dance floor and put a smile on your face at the same time. "Life on the Nickel" is a little bit more toned down in nature, but still packs a melodic punch with some strategically placed synth melodies that mix in well with the instrumentation and Mark's high energy vocals. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end as we get ready to close out the album with "Miss You", another mid-tempo song that offers up some diverse instrumentation and a barrage of synth infused melodies that looks to keep that dance party energy extended a little bit longer to allow yourself to get some of that energy out there on the danxe floor. The disc's closing song, "Warrant" is a happy go lucky song that puts you in a happy mood right away, surrounded by the people you care about in a party focused setting, a great way to close out the disc. A few upstart acts have experimented in the electronic arena previously, and that has produced a couple of memorable dance songs over the last few years, including MGMT with "Electric Feel" and Phoenix with "1901". Alot of people think that synth and indie rock don't mix well together, but you'll be quite surprised to find that they were meant to be brought together and looks to be a more prominent theme through the alternative and indie rock genres within the next few years, trust me.

Wrapping it all up, Foster the People have made an indelible mark on the general public with a fantastic debut album that marries the worlds of indie rock and electro/synth into one big, massive dance party with an assortment of melodies spread out all throughout the disc and provides you with enough fuel to carry you through your party and beyond!

                                                                                                                               Album Score: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. Helena Beat
2. Pumped Up Kicks
3. Call It What You Want
4. Don't Stop (Color On The Walls)
5. Waste
6. I Would Do Anything For You
7. Houdini
8. Life On The Nickel
9. Miss You
10. Warrant