Jon Forman is “equally skilled”
Posted September 24, 2008
By Nathan,
Jon Forman is mostly known for his allegedly incredible work as the singer/songwriter for the secular-rock-band-with-Christian-roots Swicthfoot. But the San Diego native should and will know be known for his fine acoustic efforts in his recent seasonal side line EP’s beginning with Fall and ending with Winter.
Although Forman’s music could be categorized as folk rock, acoustic pop seems a better choice for the six track EP, though there is an abundance of southern music twisted in. Fans, who marvel as Forman’s voice, even when his high notes sound rough, will get a heavy dose especially in the haunting piano ballad “my love goes free”. Forman keeps his unplugged EP from getting boring by keeping things up beat in a melancholy atmosphere with acoustic pop songs like “the cure for the pain” which has an enjoyable tune.
“Southbound train” is aptly named because the music comes from that part of the country which has a key musical entrance of a harmonica; the second verse of the song is very emotional and the hooks at the end chorus are good. The quirky “love is magnet” is a lame song that just thrusts acoustic instruments together for nearly two minutes and “Lord save me from myself” is a simple song which is upbeat even in its solemn face. Although “equally skilled” could have used a little something extra to its mainly basic acoustic southern pop, the tune is nice and the ending is exceptional.
The Winter EP doesn’t contain as much diversity as the Fall EP, but it is high on emotion especially on the simple acoustic “learning how to die” and the sobering ballad “somebody’s baby”. The light up beat good acoustic “behind your eyes” is the most energetic song on both EPs and it sounds faster than it really is. “White as snow” is boring and an song which could provoked ‘Zs’, and after a long intro, a Asian style acoustic foundation makes “in love interesting”
No longer tied down with the restrictions that might come with a full length hyped album which gets mainstream airplay as Forman is with Swicthfoot, the Fall EP sheds light on the more personal and spiritual side of Forman’s writing. Although spiritual issues don’t show up in “my love goes free” which details the end of a rough relationship, or “southbound train” (a tale of longing for home) “the cure for the pain” admits the futility of searching elsewhere for the cure for sin (‘Oh my Lord! to suffer like you do.../It would be a lie to run away’).
While “love is a magnet” vaguely suggests that searching for salvation in romance is useless, “Lord, Save Me From Myself” paints a clearer picture (‘And sex is a grand production/But I'm bored with that as well’). The setting of the biblically smart “Equally skilled” could be found in the Old Testament, where men are very wicked and God is just. The only caution for the Fall EP is Forman does a very artistic job of describing the depravity of man.
Forman borrows from Psalm 51 on “White as Snow" (‘Create in me a clean heart/Oh God/Restore in me/The joy of your salvation’) and “in love” makes references to sacrificing the things we hold dear for God. Unfortunately A mild profanity, substance abuse and death by suicide are used to illustrate the life of an unlovely person, but the sobering ballad does remind us that even the outcasts are “somebody’s baby”. “Learning how do die” is about preparing for death and loss.
While Winter and Fall go together like wings and flying the Fall EP does tip the balance with its superior ballads and spiritual messages. Getting both EPs is fine but if you want to pick just one pick Fall EP for it’s fresh acoustic tracks and artistic lyrics. It’s a pleasant surprise for Christian music fans to see the spiritual depth of Switchfoot still remains even with their mainstream success. It’s interesting that it took Jon Forman and solo EPs to show us.
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