A time existed when genres of music lay comfortable and inviolable in their respective provinces, like Trivial Pursuit segments – distinct, isolated; divergent strands of a greater musical whole.

The Internet changed that – tearing down partitions between sub-categories of music as it shrugged its digital shoulders at out-dated notions of distance and geography.

Foster The People ’s genre-straddling 2011 debut ‘Torches’ (review) catapulted them to the frontline of bands that, along with artists like Sleigh Bells and MGMT , were rethinking the DNA blueprint of the modern pop song.

‘Supermodel’ largely echoes the ‘Torches’ template of blissfully blending genres into a churning whirlpool of euphoric pop: most tracks are overflowing with trademark sky-scraping synths, star-cradling melodies, and distorted guitars. They stray from this formula on the stripped-back ‘Fire Escape’ and ‘Goats In Trees’ – with mixed results.

The uplifting instrumentation is often at odds with the dark themes explored: ‘Pseudologia Fantastica’ deals with a PTSD-suffering war veteran’s return home to his family; ‘A Beginner’s Guide To Destroying The Moon’ hints at the cost of the dark side of capitalism.

Although ‘Supermodel’ is derivative – parts of ‘Are You What You Want To Be’ could easily pass as a mediocre Vampire Weekend song – it’s more often inventively imitative, rather than devolving into out-and-out mimicry.

Ultimately this is an unashamedly vibrant collection of variegated pop songs best enjoyed during a dancefloor freak-out. As frontman Mark Foster sings on the outro of the priceless indie-pop pizazz of standout track ‘Pseudologia Fantastica’: “You’ve got to love the madness of the feeling.”

6/10

Words: Benji Taylor

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Read our interview with Foster The People