Convincing America to sing along to a peppy song about a school shooting is no easy task, and now indie pop band Foster the People must stand in their own shadow.

After tasting success with “Pumped Up Kicks” from their debut album “Torches”, the band is in no way attempting to achieve another pop hit with any of the tracks from recent release Supermodel, which hit shelves March 18. Albums like “Supermodel” make me wish that people still listened to entire albums, cover-to-cover, because this one tells a story. “Supermodel” begins upbeat and melodic, but gets progressively slower and darker, ending with a sense of apathy for society and the world in general.

1. “Are You What You Want to Be”

The album starts off with a steady beat of drums, which quickly progresses into a catchy tune. This track is clearly influenced by the time the band spent in Africa making their music, with hints of steel drum, maracas and echoing voices, making the piece interesting to listen to. Lead singer Mark Foster’s voice is strong from intro to outro, making “Are You What You Want to Be” a strong opener for the new album.

2. “Ask Yourself”

“Ask Yourself” would fall under the genre of songs for a road trip, if that were a thing. This song isn’t necessarily original in terms of musical arrangement, but dark lyrics such as “You’re coughing up blood again / I know ‘cause I clean up the mess every now and then” make this track more than a pop song. It reiterates the way in which Foster the People is able to make tough topics peppy enough to draw in listeners with their music, but make them stay with their lyrics.

3. “Coming of Age”

“Coming of Age” sounds like it was written with Coldplay, and the music video created for the song is more interesting than the music itself. However, this track is, so far, the most popular seller on iTunes. Foster’s lyrics “I’m bored at the game / And too tired to rage,” show his general discontent for the media, but the repetitive chorus “Feels like, feels like I’m coming of age” keeps the track playful.

4. Nevermind”

“Nevermind” has rough sounding percussion overlaid with gentle guitar, but an indie pop sounding chorus. This song repeats the theme of dissatisfaction with the surrounding world (“It’s hard to know the truth / In this post modernist world”).  It would be interesting to watch the progression of this genre-confused song live, but headphones don’t do it justice.

5. “Pseudologia Fantastica”

“Psuedologia Fantastica” means pathological lying. With this, Foster the People suggests that the first half of the album is a lie, and it sure feels like it. This track is a psychedelic rock piece, and is less lyrical than the majority of Supermodel’s tracks. It gives off a much more solemn vibe, but keeps a solid beat.

6. “The Angelic Welcome of Mr. Jones”

This 33-second interlude is simple, church-choir style scales. Sounds nice, but isn’t anything special. This song, as the halfway point for the album, is the first without a beat, and is anything but rock.

7. “Best Friend”

Best Friend is the darkest track lyrically, but is reminiscent of Torches in its sound. Don’t expect a happy dance tune about friendship, because this track is about the sentiments of a person who has a friend contemplating suicide. The message is meaningful, and well addressed.

8. “A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon”

“A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon” captures the essence of the album with ease. If you only listen to one song from this album, pick this one. The electric guitar behind Foster’s voice keeps the sound even as he hits the high notes, but later electronic bits in the piece modernize and define this track.

9. “Goats In Trees”

“Goats in Trees” is slow, predictable and sounds like it belongs in a commercial. It’s more transitional than outstanding, and does not add anything new to the album’s message.

10. “The Truth”

“The Truth” is another criticism on the government and media lyrically, but strays from the upbeat drums of the first half of the album, slowing down and emphasizing the album’s thinking.

11. “Fire Escape”

The solemn sounds of “Fire Escape” allude to the band finally giving up on changing the status quo, (“All the pimps and prostitutes wave you down to stop inside / Save yourself”) and as the final official song on the album, is right to do so.

12. “Tabloid Super Junky”

Bonus track “Tabloid Super Junky” is a retro-electro tune that ends the album on a high note. The inclusion of spoken audio clips adds variation, and the guitar solo is a classic rock-esque flashback. Fading out the same way it faded in, the final song on the album creates a parallel with the first, also suggesting a sense of hope.

“Supermodel” as a whole is probably not going to win any awards, but the variety of the individual tracks will help Foster The People reach listeners of all kinds. The evolution of the album from happy to hopeless is what makes it special, but the music itself is not particularly passionate. Foster the People’s sophomore record is not one for the books.

Parkway West Pathfinder gives Foster the People’s new album, “Supermodel” a 6.4/10