Kevin Bronson on February 6th, 2014

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The broad implication behind Foster the People’s new single is that the band – and, ostensibly, its cherubic fan base – are all “Coming of Age.” In the video created by BRTHR (Alex Lee and Kyle Wightman), frontman Mark Foster, 30-ish now, dues paid, the gold record “Torches” in the bank, is depicted as brooding rocker, intrepid brooder and bloodied pugilist. There are quick cuts to B-stories, too, most counterposing scenes of youthful malfeasance against life-changing moments of truth. Maybe Foster the People’s follow-up album “Supermodel,” out March 18, is one of the latter, or they want to make it seem that way, but it is more likely a second helping of the pop craft that got Foster noticed in the first place. There’s certainly nothing to dislike about “Coming of Age,” a buoyant guitar-and-synth rocker that feels straight out of a John Hughes movie. “Always moving forward, not looking back,” Foster sings here, which is not a bad mantra these days.

||| Live: Foster the People play Coachella in April.