It used to be that every band had to deal with the difficult third album syndrome, but these day it seems the second album slump has taken precedence. Case in point: LA trio Foster the People are still very much caught in the shadow of Pumped Up Kicks, the monster hit single which kick-started their career. Nothing else on their debut album (Torches) could match it, and that's also true of Supermodel. In fact, the attempts to fuse another hit of a similar scale means that much awkwardness ensues in the studio. Instead of relying on frontman Mark Foster's penmanship with hooks and melodies, Supermodel over-eggs the pudding at every turn with unpalatable riffs, unworkable plot twists and over-elaborate structures. When Foster & co keep it sweet and simple, as on the effortless cool of Best Friend, they're onto something. But that's the exception, not the rule. fosterthepeople.com
Download: Best Friend