A Strange Mix of the Old and the New
Posted August 01, 2007
By Epilogue,
'Oh! Gravity', Switchfoot's newest album, came with high expectations; such as creating a whole new genre. Well, maybe it did that, but that's for the listener to decide. For this reviewer, this is an uneasy combination of the old and the new.
Musically, this is pretty new for Switchfoot. In a sense, they are revisiting their quirky side, but these songs are just plain weird - nothing like the intense 'Meant to Live', the powerful 'Dare You to Move', or the monster riff of 'Stars.' Instead we have a goofy intro riff to the song 'Oh! Gravity' that sounds like a commercial tune for a cell phone. Not to say that I don't like it; it's one of the few things that really works here, it's just that...well, it's just not the Switchfoot I've come to love.
Unlike their radical music departure, lyrically, they stay strangely the same. 'Oh!' Gravity' is yet another lament on the depravity of the human race, and the very next song, 'American Dream' is another song against consumerism, followed by 'Dirty Second Hands' which is against the advent of modern technology, the song 'Circles', which is against the culture, and 'Amateur Lovers' against pre-marital sex. Hmm, haven't we already covered this?
Nevertheless, the songs are nice to listen to. The albums' high points are the energetic and (thankfully) optimistic 'Awakening', the wonderfully worded 'Faust, Midas, and Myself', and the opener, the catchy and unique 'Oh! Gravity.' The rest of the album is either 'just nice' or to strange.
I admire Switchfoot's pursuit of something new, but it just doesn't work here. Their song 'Dirty Second Hands' is the perfect example. It's unique all right...a dark country riff played to the background of Jon's droning voice that explodes into a flurry of electric guitars for a few short bursts, with Jon yelling out the chorus. Innovative, and even interesting for the first few listens, but in the end, simply too strange to admire. The same goes for the choppy 'Amateur Lovers.'
Overall, this album is another good album by Switchfoot, with some really good lyrics (just pretend you've never heard the subject before and they work well). Musically, the innovation is nice, but not satisfying. In conclusion though, I'm pleased that Switchfoot is seeking new ground, rather than staying put in a musical rut like, well...almost every other Christian band around.
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