Foster the People
Foster the People have yet to officially release a track, but because of the speed with which information is disseminated these days, their song Pumped Up Kicks is already being talked about as one of the sure-fire surprise hits of the summer. It's one of those lo-fi indie tracks that, like Peter Bjorn and John's "Young Kids", has "alternative anthem" written all over it. Its crossover potential is confirmed by the simple, shuffling beat, the buoyant bassline, and the outrageously catchy melody. The vocals are a little muffled but it only makes you strain even harder to hear the words, and after a verse or two the melody is bolstered by some whistling. And if that wasn't enough to ingratiate itself into the heads and hearts of festivalgoers this summer, the lyrics are well chant-worthy. The verses aren't easy to make out, but the chorus, even if it doesn't mean much, does the trick: "All the other kids with the pumped-up kicks/You better run, better run, faster than my bullet." It's MGMT's "Kids" meets "Young Kids", with a hint of Empire of the Sun's "We Are the People". Quite clearly, Foster the People are into people power, and they're doing it for the kids. It's a light, airy song absent of heavy bass and beats that usually tie songs down. It's perfect for a sunny day and a barbecue or a bike ride on the beach.
However, Foster the People isn't a one-trick pony; their songs teem with all sorts of influences. Their song "Kids" is pure Beck-ish slacker pop complete with another shuffling beat, more whistles, and some nagging "doo-doo"s. "I Would Do Anything for You" is lovely, lush slick-pop that echoes of Phoenix to the point of pastiche, with a classic Kylie Minogue "ooh la la" refrain. And there's another called Love that could be a cover version of a hit by piano-pop wunderkind Ben Folds. It's as though they're doing a tour of numerous styles to show (off), this early on in their career, everything they can do. It would almost be a shame for them to eventually alight on one single sound and mine it forever, rather than keep up this buffet-style music.
File Next To: MGMT, Empire of the Sun,
Foster the People have yet to officially release a track, but because of the speed with which information is disseminated these days, their song Pumped Up Kicks is already being talked about as one of the sure-fire surprise hits of the summer. It's one of those lo-fi indie tracks that, like Peter Bjorn and John's "Young Kids", has "alternative anthem" written all over it. Its crossover potential is confirmed by the simple, shuffling beat, the buoyant bassline, and the outrageously catchy melody. The vocals are a little muffled but it only makes you strain even harder to hear the words, and after a verse or two the melody is bolstered by some whistling. And if that wasn't enough to ingratiate itself into the heads and hearts of festivalgoers this summer, the lyrics are well chant-worthy. The verses aren't easy to make out, but the chorus, even if it doesn't mean much, does the trick: "All the other kids with the pumped-up kicks/You better run, better run, faster than my bullet." It's MGMT's "Kids" meets "Young Kids", with a hint of Empire of the Sun's "We Are the People". Quite clearly, Foster the People are into people power, and they're doing it for the kids. It's a light, airy song absent of heavy bass and beats that usually tie songs down. It's perfect for a sunny day and a barbecue or a bike ride on the beach.
However, Foster the People isn't a one-trick pony; their songs teem with all sorts of influences. Their song "Kids" is pure Beck-ish slacker pop complete with another shuffling beat, more whistles, and some nagging "doo-doo"s. "I Would Do Anything for You" is lovely, lush slick-pop that echoes of Phoenix to the point of pastiche, with a classic Kylie Minogue "ooh la la" refrain. And there's another called Love that could be a cover version of a hit by piano-pop wunderkind Ben Folds. It's as though they're doing a tour of numerous styles to show (off), this early on in their career, everything they can do. It would almost be a shame for them to eventually alight on one single sound and mine it forever, rather than keep up this buffet-style music.
File Next To: MGMT, Empire of the Sun,
