Foster the People’s delicate balance

Review

It hasn’t always been easy to be Foster the People. Making sophisticated pop with thoughtful lyrics in danceable, candy-coated hooks is like being a character actor trapped in a leading man’s body. If that’s the case, then Foster the People resemble Brad Pitt on their third studio album. Sacred Hearts Club gets the delicate mix right, getting progressively more complex as you go through the album, delivering pure shimmering pop like Pay the Man and Sit Next to Me at the beginning, and ending with a glimpse of the LA-based band’s ambition in such complex, thrilling songs as Loyal Like Sid & Nancy and Harden the Paint. Led by lead singer, guitarist and keyboardist Mark Foster, the band has undergone changes since it created hits like Pumped Up Kicks and The trio is now a quartet, with multi-instrumentalist Isom Innis also helping produce. On the 12-track Sacred Hearts Club, Foster the People get help from The Hunger Games actress Jena Malone on the airy Static Space Lover and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder on the catchy first single, Doing It for the Money. Making ambitious pop isn’t easy — just ask Phoenix or Glass Animals — but Sacred Hearts Club is way more musically consistent than Foster the People’s last offering, Supermodel. This time, the band pairs joyous melodies with thought-provoking content in ever-increasing complexity and lets you find your sweet spot. But here’s the thing: You will find it. —AP