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. Psychohenni
    Mar 8, 2018
    9
    This is without a doubt Foster the People's most differing album to date. I've been a fan of them since Pumped Up Kicks and I fell in love with the poppy-yet-cool, MGMT-style, indie sound they had on Torches, I even enjoyed the afterburner of said sound on Supermodel. But Sacred Hearts Club was where my love for Foster the People was really tested. Too much of a good thing will ruin it andThis is without a doubt Foster the People's most differing album to date. I've been a fan of them since Pumped Up Kicks and I fell in love with the poppy-yet-cool, MGMT-style, indie sound they had on Torches, I even enjoyed the afterburner of said sound on Supermodel. But Sacred Hearts Club was where my love for Foster the People was really tested. Too much of a good thing will ruin it and that's the mentality Foster and co. clearly had in their minds when making this record, as they've more or less removed the Indie dance-pop sound which made them successful and instead replaced it with a psychedelic groove. To virgin listeners of Foster the People, Sacred Hearts Club would probably be better received, however, compare this LP to the band's previous two and the sound is shockingly different.
    Which is why it's been quite difficult reviewing this. I've come to the agreement that this is a great album, the singles which this album produced are without a doubt the highlights, but the real crowing jewel in this LP is Lotus Eater, the sound of which harkens back to Don't Stop (Color on the Walls), which will make this record an easier pill to swallow for longterm Foster fans.
    Putting it short, this is a great album, to new listeners, there'll probably be no problems arising, to old fans of the band however, time and readjustment is needed.

    Favourite Tracks: Pay the Man, Doing It for the Money, Sit Next to Me, SHC, Lotus Eater, Loyal like Sid & Nancy

    Least Favourite Tracks: Orange Dream, I Love My Friends    … Expand
  2. milanklaui
    Apr 12, 2018
    7
    The album contains a lot of different genres, but altogether, it works. Sacred Hearts Club offers enjoyable songs like Pay The Man, Sit Next to Me and Lotus Eater, while I Love My Friends seems to lower the level of inspiration. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this album and it's a fine addition to the FTP collection, but it's not perfect by any means.
  3. Icarus_
    Jul 21, 2017
    10
    Sacred Hearts Club is one of Foster The People's best pieces of work. It jumps almost flawlessly from alternative to electronic to pop and even, to punk rock. With songs such as Lotus Eater and Static Space Lover, this album is very diverse, which is a good thing. It serves for a great listening experience, and I hope they continue to go in this direction in the future.
  4. queenofthecloud
    Jul 24, 2017
    10
    I'm been a huge fan since Supermodel and I'm really impressed with this album. I love the different style's of production and lyrics. It's really different from Supermodel but I like that it's a really experimental sound and it's nice to see a band who is not afraid to do something completely different.
  5. matthew_bgs
    Jul 21, 2017
    10
    This album confirms Mark Foster is one of the best songwriters of his generation. Unfortunately professional critics only reproduce other critics' opinions, creating a cycle of overpraising the same artists and overlooking the real talents. Jeff Lynne, Daniel Johns and Mark Foster should be placed upon the best songwriters in popular music. This album overflows creativity andThis album confirms Mark Foster is one of the best songwriters of his generation. Unfortunately professional critics only reproduce other critics' opinions, creating a cycle of overpraising the same artists and overlooking the real talents. Jeff Lynne, Daniel Johns and Mark Foster should be placed upon the best songwriters in popular music. This album overflows creativity and inventiveness, and the quality of the melodies is impressive.… Expand
  6. Juanpismims
    Jul 21, 2017
    10
    It´s unfair all the critics tha SHC had received in thier first hours of release, Foster the People had demostrated how they grew up like them, they make music for themselves and for thir fans, and as a FTP fan I could say that it is more than we deserve. It´s an amzing album.
  7. TylerDurdenCZ
    Jul 21, 2017
    10
    One of the most progressive bands these days. They can make an album with different sound but you can clearly recognize the Fosters. As usual they have some catchy guitar songs like Lotus Eater and some totally crazy stuff like Static Space Lover (which sounds little bit like something what MGMT would make). I couldn't find a bad song on this album. But as everything you know from FosterOne of the most progressive bands these days. They can make an album with different sound but you can clearly recognize the Fosters. As usual they have some catchy guitar songs like Lotus Eater and some totally crazy stuff like Static Space Lover (which sounds little bit like something what MGMT would make). I couldn't find a bad song on this album. But as everything you know from Foster The People it needs more than one listening to understand the song. Idon'tthink this is an album or even a band for inexperienced listener.… Expand
  8. edsdomane
    Jul 22, 2017
    10
    My boys have done it again. Mike Foster flexed his creative muscle just a bit on this one. Like Supermodel, there was a point in some of the songs where your about to stop listening altogether BUT then it gets better again. "Doing it For The Money" is a clear example where he got a lot damn better. I'm giving it a 10 because I like Mike Foster's experimental pop sound when it fusesMy boys have done it again. Mike Foster flexed his creative muscle just a bit on this one. Like Supermodel, there was a point in some of the songs where your about to stop listening altogether BUT then it gets better again. "Doing it For The Money" is a clear example where he got a lot damn better. I'm giving it a 10 because I like Mike Foster's experimental pop sound when it fuses well with a great song. "SHC" and "Pay the Man" are great songs. Writing this after only one listen, this album will grow on me like the rest and I will end up liking all of it.… Expand
  9. dangerousbabe
    Jul 25, 2017
    10
    I really love it! sounds so different and so psychodelic. with a great message and an amazing production. They are awesome can't keep listening
    THIS ALBUM IT'S ART
  10. 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.
  11. a_straats
    Jul 21, 2017
    9
    This is great album. The 60s influences are really clear here, and they work really well. Mark's singing is once again very strong, and the drums are also quite good. There are a lot of styles on this thing, but it doesn't feel jumbled at all. I would say the only problem I have with the album is Doing it for the Money. I just think this song just doesn't sound like foster the people, andThis is great album. The 60s influences are really clear here, and they work really well. Mark's singing is once again very strong, and the drums are also quite good. There are a lot of styles on this thing, but it doesn't feel jumbled at all. I would say the only problem I have with the album is Doing it for the Money. I just think this song just doesn't sound like foster the people, and too generic and unoriginal. Also, the baselines all over this thing are just great. Some highlights are Sit Next to Me, SHC, Static Space Lover, and Lotus Eater.… Expand
  12. brayanmra
    Jul 21, 2017
    10
    I do not have enough words to describe what I'm feeling. My favorite band coming back after three long years with a wonderful album, a junction of Torches + Supermodel. The 60's influences are really clear. This is so exciting. I'm proud to say that I'm a fan of Foster The People. I LOVE this band more than my own life.
  13. maryenvillanuev
    Jul 22, 2017
    10
    I like the new sounds and the way the band evolved. They showed us beautiful rhythms and possible hits. As a follower of the band I am fascinated by what they have achieved, despite all the high expectations. They managed to combine their two past masterpieces and achieve this mixture of pleasant and danceable sounds. Indie, rock, pop, electronic sounds can be heard on the CD. I take aI like the new sounds and the way the band evolved. They showed us beautiful rhythms and possible hits. As a follower of the band I am fascinated by what they have achieved, despite all the high expectations. They managed to combine their two past masterpieces and achieve this mixture of pleasant and danceable sounds. Indie, rock, pop, electronic sounds can be heard on the CD. I take a great impression of this album, I find no defect in it.… Expand
  14. WhossWhossjoe
    Jul 25, 2017
    10
    This album is a journey through the folk of the 80's, each track has its own essence, when they released Pay The Man, I confess I had liked it, but now this track is one of the most heard in my day to day.
  15. DanielLeon
    Jul 25, 2017
    10
    The new sound of Foster The People is so fresh and nice. They have an amazing talented to reinvent music and themselves. I loved this and I can't stop listening to it
  16. 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'
  17. truthaboutmusic
    Jul 22, 2017
    10
    I just finished listening to this album, wow, bravo. Foster the people just managed to evolve and continue to have the most beautiful lyrics. I feel that they advanced from the last album with more style and pop sounds but with intelligent lyrics and with the spirit that makes them what they are. I am amazed by the messages they conveyed and at the same time making me dance like crazy.I just finished listening to this album, wow, bravo. Foster the people just managed to evolve and continue to have the most beautiful lyrics. I feel that they advanced from the last album with more style and pop sounds but with intelligent lyrics and with the spirit that makes them what they are. I am amazed by the messages they conveyed and at the same time making me dance like crazy. Love the new age.… Expand
  18. 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
  19. HyanHythalo
    Jul 26, 2017
    0
    This album is very weak compared to what the band did a few years ago, it may look like evolution, but it is not, it is simply a great comeback, where the band seeks to drink from sources that should not.
  20. 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
  21. JohnWaynee
    Jul 25, 2017
    9
    I found the album very good, asa tracks are amazing, highlighting the songs of EP III and the song Loyal Like Sid & Nancy that is very different from their style, is an incredible return.
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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.
  25. Rodkiedis
    Jul 25, 2017
    10
    Sounds different, but its Foster The people ,
    They have a lot of influence in bands from the seventies, Quality assured, By the way, maybe "Sit next to me " It will be the song of the summer.
  26. J122001HdezFTP
    Jul 25, 2017
    10
    me vale v*rga lo que digan los críticos foster sabe hacer música de calidad y tigres equipo chico
    ahh y static space lover esta buenisima junto a III me hace sentir que soy importante o que importo en una persona
  27. JazminFoster
    Jul 25, 2017
    10
    I think it's a good album, because it talks about first, third, or second world problems. Your style and music really make you feel free, you know, you are in your own world. I love this, it made me feel like I was never around. Very good!
  28. TamaraFasG
    Jul 25, 2017
    10
    One of the best record of the moment, I can't even describe the amount of love I have for this band and just to see how much they've evolved, it's just amazing, I'm amazed, by this new era.
  29. AlexandraFoster
    Jul 25, 2017
    10
    Each album of Foster The People after a different message, and the message that Sacred Hearts Club tras is as good as all the others. This album after love in difficult times that we live in the world is this is beautiful. Foster The People has managed to make 3 albums different from each other without losing their essence and that makes them incredible.
  30. EllieDun
    Jul 26, 2017
    10
    A mi definitivamente me encanto el disco, las canciones escritas por Mark son tan unicas & especiales, me senti identificada con algunas canciones & eso lo hace aun mas especial para mi.
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Awards & Rankings

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#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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
  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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