My first listen through Foster The People’s (@fosterthepeople) full-length yielded a very mild response. While tracks originally found on the EP such as “Pumped Up Kicks” and “Helena Beat”, re-mixed and slightly more polished, sounded as distinctive and well-crafted as ever, many of the additional tracks felt more like filler, and others barely made their mark at all. After becoming more acquainted with Torches, though, several of the songs grew on me, and the rest I came to appreciate. It was difficult not to fall for the familiar beats and deep keyboard rhythms that drew my attention to Foster The People from the beginning.

The clear standout on Torches is “Call It What You Want”. With pounded piano chords, calculated tweaks, and almost mammalian sounding swells, the appeal of this song lies in both the instrumental creativity and the harmonized vocals that run throughout. “I Would Do Anything For You”, certainly a sweeter, gentler song, is also one that really struck me. Both have insanely catchy choruses and unique elements that don’t take away from the lyrical content. “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)” and “Life on the Nickel”, though, I can’t seem to wrap my head around. Something about the choruses of abrasive don’t stop, don’t stop and a child-like sing-a-long will never deserve more than a few listens.

Several of the new songs seem to place a heavier emphasis on random jumps, jerks and sounds. While the EP was certainly synth heavy and incorporated unique tones, the music lacked more prominent elements like the maniacal laughter on “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)” and the synthetic release in the intro of “Call It What You Want.” The appeal of this technique fluctuates from song to song, though. While I appreciate the clear variety found on the album, I was often more drawn to the mixture of natural piano sounds on tracks like “I Would Do Anything For You” and “Warrant”.

Regardless of whether I find every song appealing, the general sound and structure of Foster The People’s music is something I’ll gladly support through multiple releases. With a unique ear for blending chaos, this band, at the very least, is attempting to stretch past the comfort of the EP and experiment with their sound. Not to mention, their live show has a knack for capturing the energy of the recorded music perfectly.