Their utilisation of heavy synths and danceable beats (“Houdini”) make for undeniably infectious cuts, but they also aren’t an outfit to shy away from stripping it back and laying bare their struggles with isolation (“Goats in Trees”). Their discography is rife with modern sonic phenomena’s that defy being constrained to a particular genre, and instead weaves between indie, electronic and rock. Their three albums to date have all been well received, but with their debut, Torches, remaining a firm fan-favourite.
Their fourth full-length studio offering comes in the neatly packaged 70s infused rock of Paradise State of Mind. Following on from 2017’s Sacred Hearts Club, Paradise State of Mind maintains its predecessors hazy pop stylings but takes it one step further as they teeter into Tame Impala territory (“Sometimes I Wanna Be Bad)”.
Talking on the release, frontman Mark Foster notes; "The record started as a case study of the late seventies crossover between disco, funk, gospel, jazz, and all those sounds…I wanted to dive into that and figure out what they were doing. I was also thinking about how that era has musical and social parallels to the time that we're in now, with the giant recession in the Seventies, the political turmoil post-Vietnam, and other major tensions. But then you see these expressions of joy happening through music, and I started thinking about joy as an act of defiance."
Opening number “See You In The Afterlife” takes no time to set in with full-throttle electric guitars as they reference “Jackie-o” and “drifting off to paradise”, as they tackle mortality in the most upbeat and bright fashion possible. If any track signposts Foster The People’s nonchalant attitude to negativity and hard-hitting subjects – it’s this.
“Lost In Space”, the debut single to be released from the record, and sets the tone with its disco-infused psychedelia that is fore-fronted by pulsating beats that wouldn’t be amiss amongst New Order’s repetoir. Heavily eighties in nature, Foster The People have somehow managed to bring Kraftwerk-esque electronics into their record – without being cheesy or taking away from their own signature sound (see also “Glitchzig”). “Take Me Back” follows in the same fashion and delivers funky soul melodies that hold up staccato vocals that reminisce on the innocence of childhood and falling back in love with yourself.
“Feed Me”, as the name suggests, feeds on Foster’s love of pop icons and channels the funk of Prince (namely “Kiss”) into a jam-packed three and a half minute cut that stands out from the record as the most overt homage to the seventies. Following, the titular track turns down the dial (or initially at least), for a breezier offering that harks back to the band’s earlier works.
Swirling psychedelia sits at the forefront of “Sometimes I Wanna Be Bad” and perfectly intertwines with the freeing narrative of the following track, “Chasing Low Vibrations”.
Album closer, “A Diamond To Be Born” ushers in the closing sentiments of Foster The People’s latest chapter, and offers a final sentiment shrouded in reverbed vocals, electronic intonations that slowly crescendo into an explosive cut.
Paradise State of Mind is a refreshing modern offering from the LA-duo, their numbers may have dwindled by half, but their sound is bigger than ever.
