Foster The People – Paradise State Of Mind

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The fourth studio album from Foster The People is their first new LP in seven years and finds the band exploring the depths of their sound in a disco-infused collection of songs. Paradise State of Mind features a vibrant cover image that meshes well with the overall aesthetic of the music that comes pouring through the speakers. The set was produced by Chrome Sparks, Paul Epworth, Isom Innis, and band leader Mark Foster. Foster The People also went through a couple of band member changes since this album has released, including the departure of drummer Mark Pontius (who left in 2021) and guitarist Sean Cimino (who departed three months prior to the LP release). With all of these changes going on, it’s truly a wonder of how Foster The People were able to still craft a cohesive record that hits its intended target more often than not.

Lead vocalist Mark Foster sets the tone early in “See You In The Afterlife” as he sings triumphantly, “The world is spinning madly / Seeing kaleidoscopic lights / And it’s like we’ve all been hypnotized / As we’re drifting off to paradise.” The song features some slick production and some elements of funk, disco, and pop all rolled up into a smorgasbord wall of sound. Lead single, “Lost In Space” passes the vibe check in the album sequencing, and leans more into the disco-infused sound that the band was going for. It features dripping synths, vocoder-stylized vocals, and some additional backing instrumentation to round out the track.

”Take Me Back” goes further down the rabbit hole of artistic expression as Foster leans more into a falsetto delivery in the verses, while the bridge of “My inner life is fresh as fuck / Infinite dimensions / Pull up on that astral line / Floating over all the city life below / Gets me closer to the good times,” finds the band drifting effortlessly into the cosmos. The soothing vibes put forth on “Let Go” compared to the breakneck beats found on the DEVO-esque “Feed Me” offer a rich contrast in stylistic choices found on this record, and still make sense in the tracklisting.

The title track offers the tip of, “Stop trying to work out why something feels good and let it all in / Just need to stop / Trying to work out why something feels good to let it begin,” and it’s sound advice for a world that is filled with so much negativity. The experimental pop of “Glitchzig” features some bizarre sounds and tempo changes that are hard to follow, and at times a bit abrasive in the overall listening experience. The song closes out with an extended trumpet solo to accentuate some of the jazz-infused rock that the band was tinkering with here.

Things get back on track with the moody “The Holy Shangri-La” that takes the listener on an acid trip for the ears while putting forth some laid back vibes. Foster The People are at their best when they fully embrace this type of style that shimmers through the speakers. Other songs like “Sometimes I Wanna Be Bad” and “Chasing Low Vibrations” are a bit too similar in their delivery to fully distinguish between them, while the Daft Punk-esque closer of “A Diamond To Be Born” finds Mark Foster pondering his next move. Foster admits, “I look at myself through a broken lens / Try my best to keep from unraveling / The child inside is looking out / And holding on to the dream / That your love would cause a diamond to be born,” while the soothing instrumentation allows for a solid closing moment of reflection.

Paradise State Of Mind was not my favorite record by Foster The People, but I can still appreciate the stylistic choices and the artistic willingness to try something new in their repertoire to avoid being a carbon copy product of an album that they’ve already made. The LP at times feels like the logical sequel to the band’s experimental sophomore effort, Supermodel, yet it still provides plenty of opportunities for new fans to vibe with the material. The true sign of an artist is someone willing to take a risk and stand out from the pack by finding a way to present a different way of seeing the world. Paradise State Of Mind wears this mantra as a badge of honor and showcases the willingness of Foster The People to continue to grow as a band.

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