Tag: Switchfoot

Originally published in the North Central Chronicle on January 26, 2007.

Switchfoot has been in the biz for upwards of a decade, so one would hope that they would evolve for the better during that time. Thankfully, this ensemble can still make good rock music. That, however, doesn’t make the band invulnerable to the destined “sophomore slump.” Switchfoot’s sophomore album, 1999’s New Way to Be Human, did not succumb to its destiny and, in fact, pushed the San Diego rock outfit’s blend of pop, rock—and a spoonful of intellectual bravado—past the boundaries it should have conformed to and towards an honest rock band that always has something worthwhile to say.

The band still has something worthwhile to say; Oh! Gravity is no exception and proves this point with both fists. With tracks like “Faust, Midas, and Myself” and “American Dream”, lyricist and frontman Jon Foreman speaks (but doesn’t preach) about the negatives of greedy consumerism and cries for personal revival for the broken souls that we are.

He proclaims: “I want to wake up kicking and screaming/I want to live like I know what I’m leaving/I want a heart that I know is beating.” This is a familiar theme that echoes throughout Switchfoot’s extended repertoire, but Foreman always manages to say it differently each time—probably because we need to keep hearing it.

Each band member lets loose on their respective instruments, freeing themselves from the dungeon they enchained themselves to with the over-produced Nothing Is Sound. They successfully avoid a “U2 complex” by not being more epic than they really are. The sporadic piano splashes and instrumentalized vocal parts show a matured independence and creativity that was missing from Sound.

From the twangy “Dirty Second Hands” to the driving rock anthem “Burn Out Bright”, lyrics and music are juxtaposed perfectly and transition very well. Many music greats are referenced: The Clash, The Police, The Beatles, and even Johnny Cash. They create many different sounds, not with a synthesizer or GarageBand counterpart, but with their own guitars and surrounding environment. The standout track, besides the title track single, is the toe-tapping “Amateur Lovers”, which uses throbbing strings, classic punk progressions, and sitar that harkens back to The Beatles’ Revolver.

Every band with creative integrity wants to surprise their listeners with their creative choices, and Switchfoot manages to jolt me at every turn. No bridge or chorus is left complacent—no lyric a filler. They thought about their music; they didn’t just play it.

Oh! Gravity is a therapist helping us get over last year’s Nothing Is Sound, patting us on the head and telling us that everything is okay. Musically and lyrically, this album soars above its closest predecessor but still fails to harness the power of their best record: 2004’s multi-platinum The Beautiful Letdown. Still, it takes the best of Sound and Letdown, creating a brainchild that out-plays and out-wits its current rock equivalents.

This album inspires action, elevates the rock music it was elevated by, provokes thought, and resolves the dissonance that plagued our brains. Oh! Gravity, thanks for bringing us back to earth.