switchfoot

2000 / 4 stars / reviews / switchfoot — No Comments
28
Aug 08

Learning to Breathe (2000) by Switchfoot

Switchfoot
Learning to Breathe
2000, Re:Think/Sparrow Records
alt rock
4½

The evolution of Switchfoot continued with their third album, but there was an added delicacy here that was missing in their previous two. Obvious effort was taken with the lyrics, but something was missing in the arrangements and the general sound. If you ever get the opportunity to see Switchfoot perform live, you’ll see that they’re actually very active on stage. After listening to this album, it’s impossible for me to imagine Jon Foreman singing “The Economy of Mercy” in front of a live audience.

Regardless, this album was Grammy-nominated for a reason, and that reason is solely for the lyrics. It’s also fun to revisit this album just to compare its version of “Dare You To Move” to the version in The Beautiful Letdown. FYI, only the arrangement was changed, and subtly at that.

“Dare You To Move,” “Learning to Breathe,” “Living is Simple,” and “Economy of Mercy.”
myspace, learning2breathe.com
Switchfoot’s Beautiful Letdown, Catherine Feeny’s Hurricane Glass

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1999 / 3 stars / reviews / switchfoot — No Comments
26
Aug 08

New Way To Be Human (1999) by Switchfoot

Switchfoot
New Way To Be Human
1999, Re:Think/Sparrow Records
alt rock, rock/pop
3½

The second album by Switchfoot is far less alien to current fans of the band. New Way To Be Human shows an evolution in songwriting and lyrics that obviously led to the band we know today. Much of the lyrics here are religiously charged but never to the extent that they would be explicitly labeled as ‘praise songs.’ In fact, in “Something More (Augustine’s Confession)” and “Sooner or Later (Soren’s Song)” are lyrically based on philosophical works, thereby making the subject matter far more compelling.

Musically, this album suffers from a lack of cohesion and strange arrangements. “Oh! Gravity” is undeniably distinctive but “Incomplete” could have been much better. Either way, New Way To Be Human was an excellent change for the band as this album still spits out hits on movie soundtracks, such as “Only Hope” from A Walk To Remember.

“Only Hope,” “Sooner or Later,” “Let That Be Enough,” and “Home.”
myspace, learning2breathe.com
Switchfoot’s Learning to Breathe, Dishwalla’s Opaline

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1997 / 3 stars / reviews / switchfoot — No Comments
28
Jul 08

Legend of Chin (1997) by Switchfoot

Switchfoot
Legend of Chin
1997, Re:Think/Sparrow Records
alt rock
½

In their debut album, Switchfoot was far more rock and post-grunge than they are today. The lyrics here are deplorably bad sometimes (such as “Bomb”), but other songs show an uncanny understanding of youth culture in the late ’90s (“Chem 6A”) and hint at a lyrical play on words (“Might Have Ben Hur”). All in all, it’s a very rough and rocky debut, but definitely one that showed promise. It’s worth a cursory listen if you’re familiar with Switchfoot’s newer albums, and only a must if you’re a die-hard fan.

“Chem 6A,” “Might Have Ben Hur,” and “Life And Love And Why.”
myspace, learning2breathe.com
Switchfoot’s New Way To Be Human

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