When was the last time that you sat down and listened to an album all the way though, from the CD? No digital files on your Ipod, not something the radio happens to be playing, but real music. Rarely is an album so inviting that it can hold my attention for quite as long as Torches did. Foster the People’s first album makes these guys sound like they’ve been making music for years. Where have they been all this time? They chart-topping hit “Pumped Up Kicks” had been played on radio stations branching from hits to rock to alternative, and I still haven’t gotten sick of it.

Imagine MGMT meets the Dandy Warhols meets Ratatat, and you’ve got Foster the People. The best thing about Torches is the variety, each song sounds different than the one before, yet each is a work of art. You can tell that Mark Foster (vocals, keyboards, piano, synthesizes, guitar, percussion), Cubbie Fink (bass, vocals), and Mark Pontius (drums) spent a lot of time and brainpower on these songs. My personal favorite track, “Call It What You Want,” perfectly combines Foster’s amazing falsetto with some equally great piano.

Everyone can find something for themselves in Torches., whether it be the lyrics, the music, or the message. Don’t just write them off as another hipster band, because these guys are here to stay.