Paradise State of Mind (10th Anniversary Edition)＜Indie Exclusive Transparent Pink Vinyl＞

Foster the People embrace an upbeat, classic disco and dance-funk vibe on their fourth studio album, 2024s Paradise State of Mind. Produced by lead singer and songwriter Mark Foster with bandmate Isom Innis, the album evinces the heady 70s and early-80s style of artists like Chics Nile Rodgers, producer Giorgio Moroder, and Prince. Its a throwback aesthetic thats been bubbling underneath all of their previous work, but which they joyfully bring to the fore here, and this joy is present even as Foster ponders the seemingly troubled state of the planet, whether ecologically or politically. Its a dichotomous balance of thoughtfulness and hedonism that he brings to the lead-off track "See You in the Afterlife," a funky anthem in which he debates whether to party or cower in fear, singing, "Well, its European summer and the weathers lookin kind of mean/Well Im thinking of a holiday, whats the weather like in Kiev." The nods to war and global warming set to a shimmering and buzzy, Prince and the Revolution-esque groove, nicely puts the dancing on the precipice of a volcanic tone of whats to come. Its a whole aura that permeates the rest of the album as he dives into the electro-disco of "Lost in Space," the summery slow jam "The Holy Shangri-La," and the equally sun-soaked "Sometimes I Want to Be Bad," psychedelic-infused tracks full of woozy analog synths and rubbery basslines that often sound improbably like Flaming Lips covering Earth, Wind & Fire. With Paradise State of Mind, Foster the People have made an end-of-summer album full of cathartic grooves. ~ Matt Collar

7年ぶり通算4枚目となるアルバムは、本人たちも語るようにディスコやファンク、ゴスペル、ジャズからの影響を色濃く反映した作品に。特にストリングスの多用や無機質なシンセ音は70年代後半のナイル・ロジャースやジョルジオ・モロダーを連想させ、思わずニヤリとしてしまいますね。可能な限りアナログ・レコーディングされたという温もりあるサウンドも秀逸。
bounce (C)赤瀧洋二