Switchfoot
New Way To Be Human
1999, Re:Think/Sparrow Records
alt rock, rock/pop
½
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
