Pop-Conscious: Foster The People-Torches

I somehow missed this band as they fell into a strange gap between popular music and "indie" music. My guess now is that because of the popularity of "Pumped Up Kicks" and the usage of "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" in a Nissan Versa commercial, Foster the People are falling more toward the pop side of things. A small amount of research confirms my hunch: Torches peaked in the top 10 in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. As such, I figured it was time I gave the record a listen.

The Best Thing I Heard this Week-Peter Bjorn & John

Most will remember the song "Young Folks," the hit from their 2006 record Writer's Block.[1. Please note that the preceding track on that album, "Objects of My Affection," was just as good, if not better.] I'm guessing that far fewer people have listened to PB&J's [2. Yeah, that's an unfortunate acronym.] 2011 release, Gimme Some. Which is unfortunate, as Gimme Some is a more consistent, listenable, and well-rounded album than anything they've done before.



This album is not complicated, so this post will not be either. This is the best power-pop record you're going to hear this year (unless something ridiculous happens in the next couple of months). The lead track, "Tomorrow Has to Wait" is a microcosm of the rest of the record--fast, strong, and tight. Even when things get a little darker on tracks like "Down Like Me," the music doesn't take a break for the lyrics. It's not as creative as some of the stuff done by bands like the New Pornographers, but it doesn't need to be. There's not a bad moment on this record. Go listen to it now.

Photo by Daniel Morrison