Foster the People - Paradise State of Mind [Clear Pink]

Paradise State of Mind is Foster the People's first album in seven years, a glittering, groove-heavy return that arrives here as an indie-exclusive clear pink pressing.

A lot changed for the band after Sacred Hearts Club in 2017. The pandemic wiped out touring plans, longtime drummer Mark Pontius moved on, and Mark Foster went looking for a warmer, more human sound. He found it in late 70s and early 80s dance music, with disco strings, funk bass and gospel-tinged harmonies, recorded with far fewer digital tricks than the band had used before. Foster produced alongside Isom Innis, Chrome Sparks and Paul Epworth, and the record has a glossy but organic shine.

"Lost in Space" was the first taste, a buoyant track with a nightclub pulse and a real sense of escape. "Take Me Back" is short, punchy and hard to sit still through, while "Chasing Low Vibrations" pairs a breezy melody with a knowing wink. Opener "See You in the Afterlife" sets the tone with a groove made for long summer evenings.

It is an openly joyful record that wears its influences proudly and never sounds like a retro exercise.

Released in 2024 on Atlantic, it suits the turntable perfectly, and the pink vinyl matches its sunny, dance-floor mood.