Foster The People Deliver The Mood In Spades

Foster The People, the band behind "Pumped Up Kicks" is back with a new album "Sacred Hearts Club" and a new single "Sit Next To Me" which hearkens back to the blue-eyed soul Hall & Oates were known for in the '80s, the kind of sound that just screams "Afterglow". "Sit Next To Me" has the aura of something Peter Pan's pal Tinker Bell would've sprinkled across the scene, airy and whimsical. Vocalist Mark Foster possesses the swagger of a battle tested Romeo who knows what he wants and how he wants to get it. He fades out the talkers cause all he wants is a certain female after last call commences. The vultures are circling but that doesn't deter him. He wants to see where things go naturally (wink, wink). The keyboard fills here are nothing short of stupendous. I really can visualize the martini, shaken not stirred. The lead-in to a bedroom romp sounds like a natural progression to me. Drummer Isom Innis puts some bounce into the proceedings with mellow percussion that crooks a finger and adds a come hither attitude to the whole affair. Mark Pontius throws in some special seasoning on percussion himself. Meanwhile guitarist Sean Cimino scatters flash into the mix and does so with generous aplomb. On the whole "Sit Next To Me" is easily digestible, and in a different way from "Pumped Up Kicks". It's perfect as a way to break the ice when the night is just getting started and even better when cocktail hour has long passed. It's a testament to Foster The People's talent they can make accessible pop songs using two different sets of chord progressions. It really makes them versatile on that score. Bland is in no way beautiful. Foster The People deserves the nod for making sure the cookie cutter tunes of the day aren't uniformly claiming the lion's share of the attention. Radio's in free fall so Foster The People's timing couldn't be any better. From a lyrical standpoint the best of the lot happens to be "I'm pouring out the truth" Truth is something we all have to find for ourselves in this life. Not that you'd expect to get that from Foster The People but the thought's appealing. They've got quite a good track record going for the prospect of career longevity at the rate the boys are going. May we be lucky enough to stick around long enough to see the complete catalog in all its glory.