Torches [180 Gram Vinyl]

Foster the People's 2011 full-length debut Torches expands upon the indie electronic outfit's '80s synth-meets-'60s psych pop sound. Buoyed by the online buzz surrounding the band's single "Pumped Up Kicks," Foster the People have crafted a batch of similarly catchy, electro-lite dance-pop that fits nicely next to such contemporaries as MGMT and Phoenix. To these ends you get the aforementioned anthem "Pumped Up Kicks," as well as the hypnotic disco hop track "Call It What You Want." Equally compelling are such deep cuts as the yearning, melancholy ballad "I Would Do Anything for You" and the foot stomping arcade game-sounding anthem "Houdini." Burning with a hot track intensity somewhere in between early evening rave-up and late-night club afterglow, Torches is a beacon of melodic dance-pop love. ~ Matt Collar