Sacred Hearts Club
by Foster the People
  • Record Label: Columbia
  • Release Date: Jul 21, 2017
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 155 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 113 out of 155
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 155
  3. Negative: 10 out of 155
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  1. markosaric
    Nov 2, 2019
    5
    Ever since Torches, it feels like Foster The People can't revisit the beautiful corner of music they carved out for themselves in 2011.
  2. primadonnr
    Jul 21, 2017
    6
    Não vou mentir que me decepcionei com os reis. Pra uma banda que já conseguiu nos dar um Torches e um Supermodel, o Sacred Hearts Club se mostrou inferior. Esperava muito mais do álbum. Ele é bom, tem uma vibe bem legal dos anos 1960s mas muitas das músicas são chatas e enjoativas. Eu gostei bastante de 'I Love My Friends' e 'Static Space Lover'
  3. YT_Guyyy
    Jul 23, 2017
    4
    I wouldn't consider myself a fan of FTP. I did enjoyed parts of Torches, as well as Supermodel, though I wouldn't really actively listen to them. I would come back now and then to listen to their catchy, pretty well-crafted indie pop. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out they had released a new EP titled III. I very much liked the EP. It features what are probably the best songsI wouldn't consider myself a fan of FTP. I did enjoyed parts of Torches, as well as Supermodel, though I wouldn't really actively listen to them. I would come back now and then to listen to their catchy, pretty well-crafted indie pop. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out they had released a new EP titled III. I very much liked the EP. It features what are probably the best songs from this album.

    OK so now for the review:
    What Foster the People have done here is they have basically taken their slightly stale indie pop sound and gone more mainstream. They've taken a lot from modern EDM, pop, and a bit of the dreamy psychedelia and disco rock revival that was popularised by acts such as Tame Impala, like they took from indie pop and psychedelia bands back in their early days, and while the new sound seems like it might work well, this time they've not done it as well.

    They've definitely got an interesting sound here, the execution is just pretty poor in most songs. Songs such as I Love My Friends, the two interlude tracks, Static Space Lover and Harden the Paint. There is clearly a lot of good ideas here, but less good songs. They do showcase their ability to make this style work on songs such as Doing It for the Money, Pay the Man, SHC, and my personal favorite song, Lotus Eater. I also have to mention what is just such a bad song, which is Loyal Like Sid & Nancy. It's everything that could have gone wrong with a song on this album going wrong.

    Overall it's an inconsistent project with an interesting sound I hope they continue with, because I think they can make it work.    … Expand
  4. DavidWasHere
    Aug 14, 2017
    5
    While I will admit that as a Foster the People fan they aren't the most original or creative band. They play to a lot of tropes and cliches from other mainstream band labeled under "indie." However I felt that their debut was a solid slice of hipster dance pop with psychedelic touches. Even their second album shown them growing a bit, even if that album suffered from bad composition ideasWhile I will admit that as a Foster the People fan they aren't the most original or creative band. They play to a lot of tropes and cliches from other mainstream band labeled under "indie." However I felt that their debut was a solid slice of hipster dance pop with psychedelic touches. Even their second album shown them growing a bit, even if that album suffered from bad composition ideas and themes that are drawn out. However with this album, this feels like a regression.

    Like I said before, they aren't the most original nor creative, but they are a worthwhile band. And while they did have a mainstream sound, they did manage to carve out a niche for them. However with Sacred Hearts Club, the band goes for more of the same mainstream sound a lot of artists that get played on alternative radio sound like; banal pop that's a little bit weird for pop but still would fit on the top 40 if it catches on. Yeah they do change their sound up a bit on here, but it's just all over the place here and unfortunately a lot of the time they don't really sound interesting. I mean maybe I would like it if I weren't constantly reminded of other popular alternative artists like Twenty One Pilots (which the band does go for in the awkward white boy rap on Pay the Man) and even their contemporaries from back in 2011 and 2012 like Passion Pit and MGMT. It just has the same problem as Supermodels with more of a pop chic to it.    … Expand
  5. Music_Observer
    Aug 15, 2017
    6
    Only a fraction of their past melodic ingenuity came through here, and while the trio had enough musicianship and wit to not completely crash and burn, the music mostly became too basic and uninvolved with the boring pacing of lines and lack of real activity. My Score: 113/180 (Okay) = 6.3/10
  6. Antoner12
    Jul 30, 2017
    6
    First 5 songs are great, but then there are only 2 or 3 that are worth listening to. The rest of the songs not completely bad, but they can do better. P.S. I am not against experiments with sound or music
  7. Jevus
    Jul 26, 2017
    4
    It is very boring, gray, unnoticed, bland. I expected something much better, I had high hopes. Never match his masterpiece Torches. They had to follow that same line of alternative pop style that made them have a unique and different sound, now sounds more of the same.
  8. PretentiousGeek
    Sep 26, 2017
    5
    An album that proves an answer to the age-old question; "what would it be like if an indie-pop band decided they *really* liked the idea of trap influences?". Only the question isn't age old. And it's a question I don't think anybody will ever want the answer to again.

    I really want to like this album, mind you. The dance influences are at their most painfully obvious this time, and    An album that proves an answer to the age-old question; "what would it be like if an indie-pop band decided they *really* liked the idea of trap influences?". Only the question isn't age old. And it's a question I don't think anybody will ever want the answer to again.

    I really want to like this album, mind you. The dance influences are at their most painfully obvious this time, and there's nothing wrong with dance music, but non-committal use of styles is what made The King of Limbs a bitter pill to swallow, and it's only worse here. The songwriting is at it's most aimless, the structure is at it's most nonsensical, the stylistic choices are at their iffiest.

    So, which songs do I like? SHC is fine, albeit more generic than their usual stylised indie-pop, Pay The Man makes for an interesting introduction to the style jumble (although structurally not so much, though III makes for a good end) and Static Space Lover is an interesting moment of clarity in an otherwise fuzzy album, feeling much more like their old stuff. That said, some people aren't feeling the love for SSL.

    Maybe that's this album's killing flaw! It's trying to reach everybody in some way, and I feel that as a result it ultimately fails to truly connect me. Punk rock sprinkled in with straight dance, borderline dream-pop and odd half-measures, mixed with some of the most flaky, corny and overly sweet melodic and lyrical work they've ever released just comes off as a polished mess of ideas.

    Credit to Mark and co. for making what they wanted to, it takes courage.

    Favourite tracks: Static Space Lover, III
    Least favourite: Doing It For The Money (nope on so many levels), Loyal Like Sid & Nancy (who thought this was a good idea?!)    … Expand
  9. MacsMusic
    Apr 8, 2018
    6
    SHC is messy, with production that dips in quality and enjoyability from song to song. "Sit Next to Me", "Lotus Eater", and "Harden the Paint" don't sound great, especially with repeat listens. The lyrics on this album are rarely strong, and are mostly bland on "Sit", "I Love My Friends", and especially on "Lotus Eater." The production is undeniably interesting and attention-grabbing, andSHC is messy, with production that dips in quality and enjoyability from song to song. "Sit Next to Me", "Lotus Eater", and "Harden the Paint" don't sound great, especially with repeat listens. The lyrics on this album are rarely strong, and are mostly bland on "Sit", "I Love My Friends", and especially on "Lotus Eater." The production is undeniably interesting and attention-grabbing, and sounds great on a few songs. "Pay", "SHC", "Loyal", and "III" sound pretty cool. Still, SHC doesn't have half as much substance as Supermodel, and is less consistently enjoyable or fun as Torches. SHC is easily my least favorite FTP album.… Expand
  10. NolanLundgaard
    May 28, 2021
    5
    Sacred Hearts Club by Foster The People: 4.17

    Pay the Man: 0.5 Doing It for the Money: 1 :) Sit Next to Me: 1 :) SHC: 1 :) I Love My Friends: 0.75 Orange Dream: 0.25 Static Space Lover: 1 Lotus Eater: 1 :) Time to Get Closer: 0.5 Loyal Like Sid & Nancy: 0 Harden the Paint: 0.25 III: 0.5 7.75/12 ~ .646 -> 4.17 After having a so-so experience with Supermodel, I was    Sacred Hearts Club by Foster The People: 4.17

    Pay the Man: 0.5
    Doing It for the Money: 1 :)
    Sit Next to Me: 1 :)
    SHC: 1 :)
    I Love My Friends: 0.75
    Orange Dream: 0.25
    Static Space Lover: 1
    Lotus Eater: 1 :)
    Time to Get Closer: 0.5
    Loyal Like Sid & Nancy: 0
    Harden the Paint: 0.25
    III: 0.5

    7.75/12 ~ .646 -> 4.17

    After having a so-so experience with Supermodel, I was hoping that Sacred Hearts Club would be better. The sad thing is, while I was actually listening, I thought that it would happen. Truth be told, I was very satisfied with the first half of the album but after that it’s like the band gave up; the last three songs were pretty much all duds. For the better songs on the album, the band goes in a slightly new direction, which works out well for the most part. However, it still very much sounded like them, which was wonderful. Sacred Hearts Club is more electronic than what Foster The People had released in the past, and this both benefits and harms them, depending on the context.

    Thanks to the character limit, I am unable to provide my song-by-song commentary. Since my score is somewhat different than the average, this is a shame as the commentary might have helped people who don't quite agree with me understand my rating more.

    Overall, I really wish I could say that I enjoyed Sacred Hearts Club more. The whole thing felt a bit unfocused, as if the band couldn’t decide what they wanted the work to sound like. Now, I can definitely still hear hints of “older” Foster The People DNA, but I feel like consistency was this album’s Kryptonite. Also, Foster The People never included interludes before and seemingly had some difficulty with them. Now, I’m not anti-interlude, but at times they can be distracting from the greater feel of the album, which I believe both of the interludes on Sacred Hearts Club did. For Foster The People’s next release, I really hope they combine the best aspects of their three albums. There truly is a lot to admire about some select songs off of all three releases, though consistency really has never been the band’s strength. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this album, but fans of the band may like it. I really did like some of the songs on here, it’s just a bummer that the whole thing wasn’t more like the better stuff. Highlights: Doing It for the Money, Sit Next to Me, SHC, Static Space Lover, and Lotus Eater.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Most Discussed Album of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 9
  3. Negative: 1 out of 9
  1. Paste Magazine
    Jul 26, 2017
    74
    Foster’s dismal allusions to The Great Gatsby and Daniel Johnston are clever, yet it strays from the collective sanguinity of the rest of the album. Despite those handful of flaws, Sacred Hearts Club is an enjoyable listen.
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  2. Pitchfork
    Jul 24, 2017
    55
    Sacred Hearts Club splits the difference between the bookending acts on that Grammys tribute: Maroon 5 and the Beach Boys.
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  3. Drowned In Sound
    Jul 24, 2017
    70
    Subtract the saccharine throwback 'Static Space Lover', the utterly somnambulant closer 'III', and the ancient prom scrap 'Time To Get Closer', and you’re left with some solid pop bangers that can sync in time with yr racing heart.
    Read full review
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