by Preston Radtke
“Pumped Up Kicks.” It seems that mammoth bubblegum rock release of yesteryear has become a curse that Foster the People is wishing to exorcise. Torches, the band’s initial full-length release in 2011, was dotted with carefree indie numbers with danceable, benevolent beats. The album has sold literally millions of copies and received praise from Paul McCartney and other luminaries in the mainstream rock canon. Then Supermodel happened, a slightly similar package to Torches but with less rhythm and more storytelling. Though the 2014 release didn’t garner as much immediate success, critics were pleased with the implied direction and songwriting of the group.
Which brings us to Sacred Hearts Club. To put it bluntly, Sacred Hearts Club is what happens when you only pay attention to the EDM fans who loved the beats found on Torches and paid no mind to song structure or writing. If you like overdone, corny beats, annoying synths, and amateurish vocals, this record is for you. If you want to hear the same song twelve consecutive times, this record is for you. If you enjoy listening to a blend of well-measured guitar and percussion bars, smooth vocal deliveries and varied yet applicable themes, this record, unfortunately, is not for you.
The apple doesn't even fall from the tree
So here’s how song structures work on
Sacred Hearts Club: electronic intro with hip-hop beat, echo-y, repetitive rolling vocals by Mark Foster, and a rising chorus featuring hypnotic electronics and heavily punctuated vocals. Repeat this twice more plus a bridge that’s basically the chorus with alternate instrumentation, and there you have it. Then multiply by 11 to make a full album worth of songs. It would have been nice to see more elaborate and adventurous songs off this record. The band’s first and second albums allowed Foster to carve out a niche and perfect their song archetypes. Longer songs, more complex choruses and expansive verse structures would have been an effective direction for the outfit. But instead they picked one style and beat it to death multiple times to stubbornly unvarying lengths.
Honestly though, the issue isn’t exactly that this style gets done over, and over, and over again; it’s just that the presentation of this style is so poor, and the band isn’t aware enough to try something different. For instance the introductions almost always feature an extremely obnoxious and over-the-top synthetic part (see “Loyal Like Sid and Nancy”) that assaults the ears more than inspires the revelry. It’s so obvious that Foster the People was trying to make a record for the EDM crowd that they committed synth overkill. We get it; you want to be played at a massive club with stretch limos out front. But maybe after the eighth song you could at least add a little in the way of dynamics.
Foster’s vocals are also incredibly predictable. Gone are the days of slight vocal experimentation and frankly, any ounce of vocal life. His vocals on this album are delivered so blandly and disinterestedly as to be a highly unfortunate foil to the dramatic synths.
Is this the new normal?
Forecasting what could come next for Foster the People is an extremely grim affair. The songwriting, delivery, and deficiency of personality paint a solemn picture of what the band may do next. Both
Torches and
Supermodel had a lot of promise. Standout songs like “Broken Jaw”, “Best Friend”, and yes, “Pumped Up Kicks”, alluded to a band who could become a giant in the indie, dance, and pop genres. Back then they had perfectly toed the line of rhythm and accessibility. Now though, they are one-dimensionally rhythmic with virtually none of the positives from past material.
On the other hand, with some experimentation and refining, Foster the People could reshape themselves in the future. They’re going to need to scale back and more astutely craft beats and rhythms, and vocalizations from Mark Foster will need to be cut down. Some sampling and maybe even guest appearances could also provide more interesting shades for the band. Sadly though, there’s almost nothing that the band could positively build from
Sacred Hearts Club.
The meaning: Maybe I'm just not getting it...
Probably the most effective inclusion on this record are song titles. Titles like “Loyal Like Sid and Nancy” and “Static Space Lover” are as evocative as they are alluring. However, these songs and many others off this record lack any sort of personality or story arc. “Loyal Like Sid and Nancy” instrumentally feels like a hard-cutting dance experience with little linking it to the musical Sid and Nancy pairing to which the title almost certainly alludes. “Static Space Lover” seems to be about some acquaintance or daunting relationship. But Foster’s vocals are so vague and elementary that the only other parable we can look to for understanding is the instrumentation, and again, all we have is a hopelessly generic blend of percussion and synthetics. Foster’s lyrics are obviously written more to prop up the instrumentals, but in that light the personality and context of these songs is miserably hard to discern.
Don’t fool yourself; Foster the People has never been a band to stand on any soapbox to deliver political or social commentaries with their music. Nonetheless, previous songs like “Are You What You Want to Be” and “Helena Beat” gave just enough assumed context and personification for listeners to feel a greater connection to the band.
Sacred Hearts Club is impersonal and generic. That ever-present rhythm and bass shrouds any semblance of personality or concept for the record.
All images from
Genius
