Torches

This review is long overdue. The band is called Foster the People and their sound is about as eclectic as the lineup at any number of festivals that they have played at. Foster The People is a three man band from Los Angeles. They describe themselves as "melodic dance-infused pop and rock, spanning many genres." This description makes sense but doesn't begin to cover the range of sounds and styles on their debut album Torches. 

The wonderful and playful album manages to create a distinctly different sound and tone on each song while still retaining a common thread that relates them. Foster balances undeniable pop melodies and ideas with a more dense sounding techno back-bone.

Each song has a memorable, usually instrumental intro. For example, the dance funk "Call It What You Want" starts out with a fun little a capella section, something you wouldn't find on every top forty album these days. 

At the heart of the album is its most popular song, "Pumped Up Kicks" which became the anthem of last summer for so many. The song tells about a disgruntled teen who thinks of violence against his enemies. Despite having a dark idea at its core, the song is joyous and fun sounding, a testament to the power of instrumentation and melody.

I like this album so much because it blends some old musical ideas like 70s and 80s dance and funk music with the music tools that we possess today. It's a refreshing listen after the often repetitive dance/pop that dominates the mainstream music scene today.

Stand Out Tracks:

Houdini

Call It What You Want

Miss You

Waste

RED

Now, for a change of pace. In my english class focused on blogging, we've been discussing social networks and their responsibilities and dangers. To honor that always interesting topic, this review will be of a fairly new electronic artist going by the stage name SONOIO. 

Sono io, Italian for "It's me" is the title that Alessandro Cortini has bestowed upon his solo electronic project. I first heard about Italian born Cortini, when he joined the line up of one of my favorite bands, Nine Inch Nails. He toured with NIN for about 3 years before starting SONOIO. 

SONOIO is a very unique project in which cortini contributes all parts. Despite being trained in rock guitar, the songs on "Red", Cortini's second release as SONOIO, are mostly based around modular synthesizer parts and drum machines. However, unlike standard electronic music, Cortini sings on each song. His voice is delicate and very often reminiscent of the melancholy of an Elliot Smith or Sufjan Stevens. Outside of those mellow vocal parts, there often arises a wall of processed vocals. Think Peter Frampton on steroids.

Cortini's often melancholy vocals are contrasted by the driving drum machine beats that move "Red" forward seamlessly. However, the album is not perfect. After listening to the album front to back, there does tend to be some tonal overlap between songs. That being said, I would highly recommend "Red" for a homework filled night or a rainy day.

Stand Out Tracks:

As Long As You Make A Sound

Scientist

Enough

No Fun