After the mixed response to their sophomore album Supermodel (2014), LA indie pop band Foster The People’s are back with another attempt to regain the success of their debut album Torches (2011), which introduced the world to their brand of catchy, funky, enjoyable - yet subversive - brand of indie pop. The band now hosts a new lineup, with the departure of bassist Cubbie Fink and the addition of guitarist Sean Cimino and keyboardist Isom Innis as official band member (both were longtime touring members).
Late last month, the band released three new songs as an extended EP (aptly titled III), as a taste of their third full-length studio album, which will be released later this year:
"One of my favorite things about music is that it's unifying. We wrote these songs to reflect joy in a time where people have needed it more than ever and we thought it was a good time to share them with you".
Foster the People, Twitter
Recreating the success of their breakout single “Pumped Up Kicks” is undoubtedly a tall order, but "Pay The Man" comes close enough. The band have opted for a maximalist approach here, piling on horn samples, vocal effects, a kinetic bass line and a prominent electric keyboard to serve up a somewhat schizophrenic and radio-friendly pop-rock anthem. The chorus is undeniably celebratory, laden on with carpe diem imagery and notes of triumph:
'Say what you love, it's alrightDon't be afraid to find your lightEmbrace the day, like nightWe hear the fireWe all go wild againAnd you have the nameOf someone I loveYou said, just keep it trueLift up your nameSeasons changeYou know it'll never be the sameWe'll see the sun againBefore it fadesI just wanna say that I love you'
Lyrics: Genius
But it's the mixed messages in the song's verses (delivered in a fast-paced and frantic manner by Mark Foster) that make the track interesting. It's not clear what 'pay the man' actually means (taxes? bribes? complicity in systemic problems?), but it blends in with the song's many hints that something sinister is at work. There are various ominous references that make for an interesting listen: needing 'a little something to pull my head off'; 'Lies come from loose teeth/ Tied to the noose'; 'the wolf' not being dead; going to 'war for peace'; 'The deaf man heard what the mute man said/ Then they all followed where the blind man led'; 'laughing real hard but my teeth fell out'.
These clever turns of phrase do not exactly amount to serious depth, but they lend some shape to all the chaotic catchiness at work here - and leaving listeners with some guesswork to do as they bop to the versatile beats.
