Foster the People's Latest Is User Friendly

Friendly? You betcha!! Rollicking fun? You so much as doubt it? Puhleeze!! Foster the People haven't taken long at all to carve their own unique niche. "Pumped Up Kicks" was a slam dunk when it broke wide open in 2011. Up next on the agenda for the LA indie trio is its new "Supermodel" album. The lead single goes by the moniker "Best Friend". It has the distinction of culling disco flashbacks and laying a gaping rock wound threadbare. Someone needs to up bassist Cubbie Fink's on the basis of this song alone. Juicy, juicy, juicy. The fever pitch goes on seemingly forever. The adrenaline rush is pretty tough to beat. Lyrically there's enough enigmatic twists and turns to keep the ever shrinking attention spans engaged. "Pumped Up Kicks" turned out to be a mere taste of what they could do with an infectious riff and enough studio time to make the practice worth the effort. And let me tell you Mark Pontius is fire, brimstone, and a smidge extra in the firepower department. Vocalist Mark Foster sings of what it means to be the above mentioned best friend. You don't let them crack under the stress they're under. Often sleep like imagery runs this little shebang. Technical scientific terminology such as "Waves in theta, slipping into dreams" are pretty regular players here. "Best Friend" comes to bear full fang with a lights out technicolor blast shaking your eardrums to their very core. Why is the song a winner that deserves to be called such regardless of how well the album sells? Foot tapping mixed with arousing inhibition loosening dynamism. Club land teems with this brand of melody. Cue the disco ball but make room for working up sweat like you've never imagined it before. One thinks Mark is a highly reliable friend. He'll follow him to whatever color his mood ring turns. "Supermodel" is a title suiting the single perfectly. "Best Friend" strikes one magnificent pose. Lock in on the whole "celestial being" concept for a second. Top to bottom Mark and Cubbie nail the right moves. Together they're appealing allies come what may. As I alluded to before the tempo is flat out electrifying. You would be willing to follow them to whatever place, light or dark this crew of sound sculptors choose to go. It only gets better as the chords intensify. "Pumped Up Kicks", as you who look closely at lyrics ought to know, was not exactly cuddly in the subject matter arena. "Best Friend" doesn't get up in your grills either. To its credit it is someone you could converse with for hours or, until you grow hoarse, whichever comes first. Let me not make the mistake of flashing a broad grin for the brass section (or its pre-recorded kissing cousin) that livens up the party that Foster the People are throwing without them even being aware we're willing to RSVP. Putting both "Pumped Up Kicks" and "Best Friend" under glass for a closer examination. "Pumped Up Kicks" leaned closer to the sing-a-long throngs. "Best Friend" is the tingling rock sensation you blissfully trap yourself under a la the waves Mark sings about. With every subsequent return to the chorus you benefit from the demons unlocking part by part until the monster's front and center in the concert hall. "Best Friend" earns its stripes as a musical best bet.