Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane

[Gregory Robson]

Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane
Record Label: lowercase people/Atlantic
Release Date: Nov. 10, 2009

And so it is. Another year, another creative effort from Jon Foreman. Seems like just yesterday the band was plugging their greatest hits album and Foreman was promoting his solo disc and his cute little side project with Sean Watkins. But Foreman's main focus is Switchfoot and on the band's new album Hello Hurricane, the ever engaging frontman both disappoints and impresses.

One of the album's finer points is album opener, "Needle and Haystack Life," a U2-like epic with Foreman's vocals rising like a siren, cascading guitarwork and a tidal-wave chorus. The song has limitless radio potential and its atmospheric tone is proof positive that the band hasn't abandoned their bread and butter: straightforward, far-reaching anthems. Lead single "Mess of Me," is a raw and aggressive garage romp that's propulsive, jittery and thunderous. While there's a nice breakdown halfway through and vocal gymnastics from Foreman, the entire exercise is a bit self-indulgent. In the end it comes across as nothing more than a novelty single, but that being said, it's a lot better than most of what passes for radio these days. Piggybacking on "Needle and Haystack Life," is "Your Love is a Song," an earnest and melodic midtempo treat that's unadulterated, rousing and gorgeously sweet. It's nothing too novel, nothing too disappointing, as if to indicate that the band knows how to stay in their comfort zone and not do anything disastrous or offensive.

The album takes its first dip on "Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)," a kitschy, retro bit of garage-rock wrapped in an envelope of synths and ambient sonic textures. It's more of a vibe song, though its big bursting chorus sounds at times like an aggrandized Communist march. The quintet returns to form on "Enough to Let Go," a jangly and plinky midtempo movement with good structure and solid vocals. Though the refrain of "Do you love me enough to let me go, to let me fall through, to let me fall for you," is a bit tired, its a pleasant autumnal meditation on love, or God, because with Switchfoot, well, you just never know.

The swampy and murky "Free," follows and its most assuredly the album's first disappointment. The song seems to serve as more of an exercise to showcase the band's collective talents, as the rhythm section carries the song forward. But that very problem is why Switchfoot's success is tethered to Foreman's vocal command. He doesn't exactly let the song get away from him, but he doesn't really have a chance to extend himself and when he does, it doesn't exactly work. Even lingering guitarwork and an outro of violins can't do much to save the song.

The spooky and ethereal title track is carried forward by a minute-long instrumental intro and ram-rod drumming from Chad Butler, but as a title track it's a huge disappointment. When Foreman sings of equating his affection to a hurricane, it's a nice attempt at poeticism but its not exactly the stuff of legends. At this point in their career, Switchfoot should be churning out music that cements their place in the annals of rock, not settling for mediocrity, and while sonically "Hello Hurricane," is pleasant, the lyrics are awfully disappointing.

The lilting piano and yearning vocals of "Always," move along like a prayer and make for a stirring meditation on solace and security. This is arguably Switchfoot's greatest strength, as on songs like this Foreman and the band's musical acumen lend themselves well to an arrangement as ornate as this. A slide guitar towards the end cements the song as indelible, and much like "Enough to Let Me Go," its an open-ended valentine to either a lover or God, take your pick.

"Bullet Soul," continues the band's penchant for plinky retro numbers and it comes across as a bit too much thrash and din, and while it would have fit on Oh! Gravity, it seems a bit too muddled, noisy and busy on this one. While the attitude can be appreciated, the execution is a bit suffocating.

Foreman dives back into writing another hymnal on the spacey "Yet," a cornucopia of electro-programming and slowly moving guitars that begins rather lackluster but takes off in the last forty seconds. From start to finish, the song feels more like a Foreman solo effort and comes across a little unfulfilling. That trend is carried forward on penultimate track "Sing it Out," which begins with 100 seconds of acapella before segueing into airy instrumentation, more vocal gymnastics from Foreman and a soaring ascension at the three-minute mark that's chill-inducing. And then rather unsatisfactory the disc rests on "Red Eyes," a banjo-fueled, mid-tempo arrangement with a defined sense of rhythm but an odd choice as a final cut. Why exactly the band didn't choose "Sing it Out," as the finale is anyone's guess.

And so from start to finish, Hello Hurricane ebbs and flows with potential and disappointment, promise and filler, which makes for an entirely frustrating listen. The quintet are incredibly adept musicians and can most certainly write hit records in their sleep. And armed with a good chunk of radio-ready material, Hello Hurricane will certainly sell well. But all that being said, this is not their best effort and the band can certainly do better next time out. Here's hoping.

1. Needle and Haystack Life
2. Mess of Me
3. Your Love is a Song
4. The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)
5. Enough to Let Me Go
6. Free
7. Hello Hurricane
8. Always
9. Bullet Soul
10. Yet
11. Sing it Out
12. Red Eyes

Abandon Kansas, SafetySuit, needtobreathe, SR-71

Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/switchfoot)
Official Website (http://www.switchfoot.com)

[awakeohsleeper]

Really need to check this out. I didn't like Nothing is Sound so I didn't get Oh! Gravity. But I'm willing to listen to this.

[combatchuckaa]

Well-written review. I think the album is solid through-and-through.

[topher465]

Nothing this band will ever do compares to The Beautiful Letdown

[combatchuckaa]

Nothing this band will ever do compares to The Beautiful Letdown

Stop livin' in the past! :-)

[littlebeav]

Stop livin' in the past! :-)
But seriously, some albums just can't be topped. That's not living in the past. That album, was/is/will forever be phenomenal. Its idiotic to say that just because something is older means it is irrelevant.

[Smeee]

Nothing this band will ever do compares to The Beautiful Letdown
I'm a massive Switchfoot fan and I think I migh have to agree haha.

Still, I do like this album. Just not quite as much as I had hoped. Definitely better than Oh Gravity.

[combatchuckaa]

But seriously, some albums just can't be topped. That's not living in the past. That album, was/is/will forever be phenomenal. Its idiotic to say that just because something is older means it is irrelevant.

Well I didn't say it was irrelevant, but I like seeing people give new stuff a shot instead of dwelling on the older material. Switchfoot keeps progressing and while The Beautiful Letdown has a special place in my heart, I don't listen to it much anymore and prefer to add to my love of the band with the new material. Just my thoughts.

[Lirr168]

Really need to check this out. I didn't like Nothing is Sound so I didn't get Oh! Gravity. But I'm willing to listen to this.
Oh! Gravity was really good. I wasn't the biggest fan when it first came out, but it has grown on me a lot, especially "Awakening."

[JordanBuell]

Nothing this band will ever do compares to The Beautiful Letdown
i agree.

[awakeohsleeper]

Oh! Gravity was really good. I wasn't the biggest fan when it first came out, but it has grown on me a lot, especially "Awakening."
People have told me it's quite polarising - some of their best tracks but also some really bizarre tracks that do nothing for them. Anyway, I'll give them a chance with this new record.

[honestykills]

The Beautiful Letdown was a life-changer for me, and I enjoyed the majority of Nothing Is Sound, but I didn't really care for Oh! Gravity. Listening to this disc now and while the album opener is fantastic, I really don't like "Mess Of Me."

[pleasedontpanic]

Right on review.

[threepunchjim]

This is a very well written and fair review. Kudos.

[LastDeclaration]

I was really interested in reading this review, and I found it pretty spot-on. I've always felt like Switchfoot don't really get all the credit they deserve.

[crimsonandclovr]

i cannot stop listening to this record.
"Yet" and "Your Love is a Song" are great songs to fall asleep to.
great review!

[loj]

love "The Sound". i'd say my feelings match yours quite well.

[theNatetron]

this album is solid. way better than the last two attempts.

[Gregory Robson]

love "The Sound". i'd say my feelings match yours quite well.
But I don't like "The Sound." Aside from that, I'm glad you're feelings matched.

[Memphis]

i say definitely more than 77 percent :)

[radxbandit]

I disagree, I feel it's better than the score/review describes (80's, objectively, though my bias included puts this record in the 90's), though it is a well-written review. On the other hand, The Sound is one of my favorites on the record, closely followed by Yet. But I have to say, what's up with that SR-71 rec?

[doppelganger]

this cd was really generic imo. they peaked at nothing is sound and just went downhill from there

[radxbandit]

Well I didn't say it was irrelevant, but I like seeing people give new stuff a shot instead of dwelling on the older material. Switchfoot keeps progressing and while The Beautiful Letdown has a special place in my heart, I don't listen to it much anymore and prefer to add to my love of the band with the new material. Just my thoughts.
Same here. That record did a lot for me when I first got into it. I still play it from time to time, but their last two records get more play, Oh! Gravity more than NIS. Also, I think Oh! Gravity is pretty underrated, and Faust is one of their best songs they've ever done...

[Gregory Robson]

I disagree, I feel it's better than the score/review describes (80's, objectively, though my bias included puts this record in the 90's), though it is a well-written review. On the other hand, The Sound is one of my favorites on the record, closely followed by Yet. But I have to say, what's up with that SR-71 rec?
It probably could have been bumped to the 80s, but nothing on its is incredibly creative. So it got a low score there. His lyrics aren't overwhelmingly terrific either, so a low score there. As for the SR-71 reference, their last album somewhat resembles this. But it's a stretch I know. I'm only human.

[Gregory Robson]

Same here. That record did a lot for me when I first got into it. I still play it from time to time, but their last two records get more play, Oh! Gravity more than NIS. Also, I think Oh! Gravity is pretty underrated, and Faust is one of their best songs they've ever done...
Oh! Gravity is freaking terrific. I love it a lot more than this one.

[HometownHero]

Ill have to check this out

[loj]

But I don't like "The Sound." Aside from that, I'm glad you're feelings matched.
haha yea, i did a poor job of distinguishing those two sentences. it was meant to be a sort of "i love The Sound, but besides that...."

i appreciate the fact that you take time to reply to those who comment on your reviews.

[James RE Hughey]

Nothing this band will ever do compares to The Beautiful Letdown
I like Learning to Breathe better, or at best I think it dies. Dare You To Move was their BIG BREAK HIT right? Well, that was on Learning to Breathe before Mandy Moore put them in the spotlight.

I really found Nothing is Sound boring and therefore did not give Oh Gravity a chance, but I was told it was much better and what I have heard of this album is good and makes me think the review is definitely where I felt the music was, but I have only heard about half.

[Xianmusicfan]

Nothing is Sound is my favorite Switchfoot album, Beautiful Letdown was good but overrated, Oh Gravity just wasn't very good. I would place this album ahead of Beautiful Letdown but behind Nothing is Sound. I did like the music on the album a lot, more than any other Switchfoot album, but the lyrics weren't up to Nothing Is Sound. Can't say I agree with the review

[thefirewithin]

Well I didn't say it was irrelevant, but I like seeing people give new stuff a shot instead of dwelling on the older material. Switchfoot keeps progressing and while The Beautiful Letdown has a special place in my heart, I don't listen to it much anymore and prefer to add to my love of the band with the new material. Just my thoughts.
Finally... someone that thinks like I do!! :)

If I had to choose a favorite switchfoot album at this point it would have to be "new way to be human" or "nothing is sound".... which most people don't get but those two connected with me more than "a beautiful letdown".

[Nick Le]

I'm enjoying the album so far, a lot better than Oh! Gravity.

[Nick Le]

Oh! Gravity was really good. I wasn't the biggest fan when it first came out, but it has grown on me a lot, especially "Awakening."
Awakening is definitely one of my favorite Switchfoot songs.

[narcoleptic953]

Pretty much my thoughts on this album. A few great songs (Needle In Haystack Life, Sing it out), and too much filler.

[Blake Solomon]

pretty let down by this, actually.

[imtherealdave]

pretty let down by this, actually.
Same here. I was a really big fan of their previous albums, especially Oh Gravity.. I'm hoping this one grows on me.

[Brand-new-123]

Is it worth picking up if I really only love TBL but thought the other albums had some jams?

[mcalphabet]

Good review. Despite the bias that might seem to emanate from my avatar, I really feel like this is much more of a grower kind of album. I honestly found this to be a huge letdown at first but as I listened through it more I liked it more. Like I said, maybe this part of my bias, but this was definitely a grower for me.

[CarouselBoy]

very well written review, IMO

[Ryzenfall]

I liked it, but I don't love it. I agree that the word for this record is promising. The musical arena they are exploring for the past few records have been very exciting, and I hope they'll put it all together to make something special. That said, there are a few songs on this that are worth it.

[blindrider529]

I'm pretty much a Switchfoot/Jon Foreman diehard and I Love Love Love this album. I feel elements from New Way to be Human, The Beautiful Letdown, and Oh! Gravity in different places. I could listen to this one over and over again and not get bored.

I don't agree with a lot of the review and think that some of the songs highlighted mostly in a negative way in the review (Bullet Soul, Hello Hurricane, The Sound, etc) are some of the songs that really make me want to listen again and again. The only thing that really bugs me is Jon sounding like he can't pronounce the word, "sound," in the chorus of The Sound. It almost sounds like a drunk Brit.

All in all...GREAT album. I love it. Steam the whole thing on Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/switchfoot) or on MSN (http://entimg.msn.com/i/asx/audio_streams/Switchfoot_HelloHurricane.asx).

[chillinlikebob]

Good review. I pretty much agreed with it all. Not a fan of The Sound or Bullet Soul, but I really like everything else. I still think their first record is their best. I dug Oh! Gravity, but didn't really like the one before that. I've enjoyed all of their earlier stuff. I'm pumped for this. I've only heard Hello Hurricane a couple times and haven't listened to it in a couple days and I still find my self humming some of the songs in my head.

[joberooni]

I feel like you aren't giving Foreman the proper credit he deserves on these lyrics. But that's rather objective, of course. Well-written review, although I disagree with you entirely on "Free."

but well done.

[joberooni]

pretty let down by this, actually.
it's definitely a grower. I felt the same way on the first few listens, but now it's brilliant.

[Gregory Robson]

pretty let down by this, actually.
I knew we'd agree on something other than Metavari, this year.

[jason41224]

i have to disagree with you on "The Sound". the song has real energy. rather, i would have to say "Enough" is easily the weakest track on the disc.

[Gregory Robson]

I feel like you aren't giving Foreman the proper credit he deserves on these lyrics. But that's rather objective, of course. Well-written review, although I disagree with you entirely on "Free."

but well done.
I like him when he's making social commentary and this album seems to lack some of that. He seems to settle for simple generic cliches and themes we've heard before.

[mattrussell1124]

Great review. I think you nailed it with the "filler and potential" line. I'm hoping they hear our cry and put a little more elbow grease behind "Vice Versus" next year.

[thefirewithin]

Understanding and enjoying this record has been somewhat of a process for me over the last couple weeks.... I've found that Jon always has something to say that lies deeper than the surface of his lyrics, and sometimes it takes time to pull that out.

[Jamos4184]

I disagree that the title tracks lyrics are "awfully disappointing"

[Jonathan Bautts]

This album is a lot better than a 77, although I think their last three albums are better. Still, I have to disagree with you on The Sound and Free, as they're the two best songs on the album in my opinion.

[Jake Denning]

Greg, I thought it was interesting that you brought up AK in the RIYL, I worked merch for a bit with them and I got asked by a few people in a few different towns if they were fans of Switchfoot, lol. Anyways, they respect switchfoot, but dont go out of their way to write music like them.

[roisterboy]

But I don't like "The Sound." Aside from that, I'm glad you're feelings matched.
The Sound is one of those "fist pumping" songs!!! I can imagine them playing it live; the crowd throwing their fists up in the air!

[amateurlover]

Hmm, interesting review. For those of you who think the CD has too many "filler" songs, I'd like to point out that they had over 90 songs written that were possibilities for this record, and the ones that were chosen were for a reason. I can see how you might view some of the lyrics as disappointing when you can't fully relate to them to appreciate them, but they're a bit deeper than you might think after a few listens.

Nothing is Sound has always been my favorite Switchfoot album, but this one just might top it. It's a completely new direction for them musically and so much more hopeful lyrically.

"The storms of this life shatter our plans. They tear through our world and destroy our hopes and dreams. They ruin sunny days, flatten the structures we depend on, and shock our world views. Hello Hurricane is an attempt to sing into the storm. Hello Hurricane is a declaration: you can't silence my love. My plans will fail, the storms of this life will come, and chaos will disrupt even my best intentions, but my love will not be destroyed. Beneath the sound and the fury there is a deeper order still- deeper than life itself. An order that cannot be shaken by the storms of this life. There is a love stronger than the chaos, running underneath us- beckoning us to go below the skin-deep externals, beyond the wind, even into the eye of the storm. Hello Hurricane, you're not enough- you can't silence my love. " - Jon Foreman


Read this and tell me if you feel the same way, especially about the lyrics:
http://www.landofbrokenhearts.org/HurricaneSongStories.php

[Blake Solomon]

can't get over how catcy the first song is. so sad that nothing else on the album even touches it. this was what i expected to happen on Letdown, but didn't. So now that it is here, I'm even more sad.

[Blake Solomon]

Hmm, interesting review. For those of you who think the CD has too many "filler" songs, I'd like to point out that they had over 90 songs written that were possibilities for this record, and the ones that were chosen were for a reason. I can see how you might view some of the lyrics as disappointing when you can't fully relate to them to appreciate them, but they're a bit deeper than you might think after a few listens.

Nothing is Sound has always been my favorite Switchfoot album, but this one just might top it. It's a completely new direction for them musically and so much more hopeful lyrically.

"The storms of this life shatter our plans. They tear through our world and destroy our hopes and dreams. They ruin sunny days, flatten the structures we depend on, and shock our world views. Hello Hurricane is an attempt to sing into the storm. Hello Hurricane is a declaration: you can't silence my love. My plans will fail, the storms of this life will come, and chaos will disrupt even my best intentions, but my love will not be destroyed. Beneath the sound and the fury there is a deeper order still- deeper than life itself. An order that cannot be shaken by the storms of this life. There is a love stronger than the chaos, running underneath us- beckoning us to go below the skin-deep externals, beyond the wind, even into the eye of the storm. Hello Hurricane, you're not enough- you can't silence my love. " - Jon Foreman


Read this and tell me if you feel the same way, especially about the lyrics:
http://www.landofbrokenhearts.org/HurricaneSongStories.php
this is absolutely not a new direction for them musically.

[Gregory Robson]

this is absolutely not a new direction for them musically.
I wholeheartedly agree.

[joberooni]

can't get over how catcy the first song is. so sad that nothing else on the album even touches it. this was what i expected to happen on Letdown, but didn't. So now that it is here, I'm even more sad.
give the album as a whole another chance. I hated it at first, then the whole thing began to grow on me. i think this is what this record will end up being... a grower.

but either way, that's your choice.

[colormecadence]

This album strikes me very similar to Thrice's "Beggars" in that now that Switchfoot is a truly independent band with no records execs telling them not to do something. With that, you get what you get... A couple of great indie songs and a couple of the artist's favorites that stink like dog with fleas... Still worth your patronage.

[blindrider529]

this is absolutely not a new direction for them musically.
Agreed. I could picture most of these songs fitting in on their past albums for the most part. However, I don't think they even come close to creating a carbon copy of any of their past songs or albums. It feels really fresh to me.

I really, really enjoy that on this album they took sounds from ALL of their past albums from The Legend of Chin all the way through Oh! Gravity and painted a pretty good picture of Switchfoot: past and present, while still continuing to find ways to mature and not make songs that literally sound the same (See: Nearly the entire pop-punk genre...which I love). All the sounds of each their past albums are all very distinct to an obsessive listener (such as myself), and I love getting so many different vibes on this one.

I also hear some of the style Jon has been working on with his solo work and fiction family in some of the verse melodies (see: Yet & Your Love is a Song).

[liveloud4life]

I'm gonna listen to this later today. I really want to like it more than the review suggests. Most people seem to think Oh! Gravity was a letdown and at first I wasn't that into it either but it grew on me in a big way and it's one of my favorite albums ever now.

[amateurlover]

give the album as a whole another chance. I hated it at first, then the whole thing began to grow on me. i think this is what this record will end up being... a grower.

but either way, that's your choice.
I agree. It's one that you can't appreciate or fully understand on the first listen or two. At first I thought it was just like Oh! Gravity, which was good, but nowhere near the potential that Switchfoot has (Nothing is Sound, The Beautiful Letdown), but the more I listen to Hello Hurricane, the more I realize it's so much better. They have matured a lot, and I really like how hopeful it is as compared to Nothing is Sound. They went from "Everything is meaningless" to "You can't silence my love."

[thepianominstre]

I want to like this more than I do but I remember that I wasn't that impressed by Oh! Gravity the first few times around, either.. so we'll see... it's definitely more radio-esque than the stuff I've discovered in the three years since their last album... but then again they're not my career #2 band on last.fm for nothing..

By the way, Gregory, unless I'm misunderstanding you I'm not sure you have the meaning of the title track correctly... my understanding was that it was about holding up in the face of the storm, with the hurricane as a metaphor for life's troubles, not as a metaphor for Jon's affection...?

[amateurlover]

^Oh wow, I missed that in the review. You're right..

"When Foreman sings of equating his affection to a hurricane..."

hahaha. um. I'm very sorry, but I got a good laugh out of that. No wonder you didn't like the album very much. I didn't think Hello Hurricane is a very hard song to interpret, and even with doing the slightest bit of research you should be able to figure out what Jon was really talking about when he wrote it.

Hello Hurricane is NOT about Jon's affection. How shallow would that be? No, it's about life's storms, the struggles and hard times that we all go through, and having a hope in spite of that. Jon says "This song is representative of the many whirlwinds that come and tear through our lives and break a lot of things down, and having a hope that's deeper than that, a rooted love that no winds could ever tear down." For him, I'm sure it's God's love, but it could be anything that is something good to hold on to in spite of whatever bad things life throws at us. "Hello, hurricane. You're not enough. You can't silence my love." is a pretty bold statement, speaking directly to this "storm" coming into your life that would seem to destroy everything and tear you apart, but telling it it's not enough, and no matter how much damage it does, it can't destroy the deeper love or hope that you have (In God/a relationship/anything stable and good.)

That's also the main theme throughout the entire album. So if you missed that, I am very sorry to say that you have missed the whole point of the album, and in that case it's not surprising at all that you didn't love it.

[himynameisjohn3]

Enough to Let Me Go is my favorite.

[Gregory Robson]

^Oh wow, I missed that in the review. You're right..

"When Foreman sings of equating his affection to a hurricane..."

hahaha. um. I'm very sorry, but I got a good laugh out of that. No wonder you didn't like the album very much. I didn't think Hello Hurricane is a very hard song to interpret, and even with doing the slightest bit of research you should be able to figure out what Jon was really talking about when he wrote it.

Hello Hurricane is NOT about Jon's affection. How shallow would that be? No, it's about life's storms, the struggles and hard times that we all go through, and having a hope in spite of that. Jon says "This song is representative of the many whirlwinds that come and tear through our lives and break a lot of things down, and having a hope that's deeper than that, a rooted love that no winds could ever tear down." For him, I'm sure it's God's love, but it could be anything that is something good to hold on to in spite of whatever bad things life throws at us. "Hello, hurricane. You're not enough. You can't silence my love." is a pretty bold statement, speaking directly to this "storm" coming into your life that would seem to destroy everything and tear you apart, but telling it it's not enough, and no matter how much damage it does, it can't destroy the deeper love or hope that you have (In God/a relationship/anything stable and good.)

That's also the main theme throughout the entire album. So if you missed that, I am very sorry to say that you have missed the whole point of the album, and in that case it's not surprising at all that you didn't love it.
Thanks for calling me out on this. Regardless of how I misinterpreted the song, t's still not an entirely moving effort. And one song doesn't mean I misheard the album. This is a generic rock album with lots of filler, and a man with talent such as his can do a lot freaking better. Fight me on this if you want. I stand by my opinion of this. This is their worst album since they became chart-toppers.

[amateurlover]

When I first heard it (two months ago on an iphone of one of the band members, with the whole band standing next to me...) I thought it was good, but that my expectations had been too high and I thought they could do better. But the more I listen to it, the more I realize how incredible it is. Probably better than Nothing is Sound, which has always been my favorite. Musically, I respect your opinion.. but lyrically, I think if you don't appreciate the brilliance of it, you probably haven't heard it enough times or thought about it enough. Jon's best lyrics are often this way-- what might seem simple and generic is actually much, much deeper than you would imagine. The way you interpretted Hello Hurricane is a perfect example of this. And I'm also sure that the whole album is a lot more moving for the people who can personally relate to the issues that the songs deal with.

[beautifuletdown]

NOOO shut upp!!! dont be hating on switchfoot ever!
i respect your opinion and dont wish to offend you blah blah blah
BUT SERIOUSLY, i would love anything switchfoot created even if tim foreman sang a quick little diddy about turkey time.... you know???
at first i was upset with this album, but its a whole new sound for them! its brilliant and they spent a lot of time on this album....
SWITCHFOOT FOREVERRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

[Matthew Tsai]

NOOO shut upp!!! dont be hating on switchfoot ever!
i respect your opinion and dont wish to offend you blah blah blah
BUT SERIOUSLY, i would love anything switchfoot created even if tim foreman sang a quick little diddy about turkey time.... you know???
at first i was upset with this album, but its a whole new sound for them! its brilliant and they spent a lot of time on this album....
SWITCHFOOT FOREVERRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!
lol

[blindrider529]

The more I listen to this album the more it is growing on me. It's really good.

A lot of people complain about albums not being "cohesive" or whatever, but Jon is definitely a songwriter, not and albumwriter, and I love how each song stands on it's own. Honestly, I think it's pretty rare to find that kind of thing in the "scene." I'm all about putting albums on random to see how I really feel about the songs.

[thekent]

The title track isn't Foreman equating his love to a storm, it's Foreman acknowledging that the "storms" in life should effect our love. The song is poetically beautiful.

[benny06]

The Sound is a horrible song...Really don't like Mess of Me either. The rest are pretty solid except for Bullet Soul, which I guess leaves only the slower more deep songs beside Hello Hurricane which I somewhat enjoy. Other than that this is about 3.5/5 for me

Edit - Haven't really decided how I feel about Free either...

[indiesuperman]

I cannot believe all the negative (or...lackluster, rather?) comments I'm reading. I haven't been able to stop listening to this album since it was released. I think this is one of Switchfoot's best albums (this one and "Nothing Is Sound" are my favorites). I could go into detailed defense of all the tracks on this album, but I'll just go with the ones that have been mentioned as disappointments by the majority of people commenting here.

I specifically love the lyrics on this album because Jon Foreman has moved away from the scathing, finger-pointing lyrics from Oh! Gravity. (which I liked, but didn't love), and has turned the finger to himself, if not putting it away in exchange for hope at surviving the storms that life has to offer (the "Hurricanes," as he has put it on this album). There is a great article in RELEVANT Magazine where he has decided that the bitter social commentary (which Gregory seems to like more) is not the appropriate approach to achieving the change of heart that he hopes to see in our nation and in the human condition as a whole. This message is apparent in "The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)," when Foreman sings, "this is the sound from the discontented mouths of a haunted nation/ WE are the voice of breaking down/ ...this is the sound of a desperation bound by OUR OWN collisions," there is a sense of need for change as a community, as human beings, not as selfish Americans, but as people as a whole. There is a call to action when Foreman sings, "there is no song louder than LOVE." Love is what he calls us to do. Not to protest or to be shrill, but to love. Love will change the landscape of apathy and indifference. Foreman is calling on everyone to love in order to save us from our "fallen condition." And that is what makes the song so strong in my opinion.

"Enough to Let Me Go" is an amazing song, lyrically because it is very much a song that recognizes the points in our lives when we are out of sync with the people we love. Sometimes we need to let go and find ourselves in order to come back and meet people on honest levels of love. I don't think there is a more honest song (outside of tortured Ryan Adams songs), where this kind of introspective nature is explored in such a beautiful way.

"Free" is spectacular because first of all, it is a different sound from anything they have put out. It's kind of edgy like "Dirty Second Hands" from Oh! Gravity but, again, instead of focusing, lyrically, on what everyone else is doing wrong, Foreman is looking for escape from himself. He is begging to be released from the "prison cell" inside his "shell." The desperation to find freedom from within ourselves is incredibly captivating and completely enthralling as a listener, because you can hear the passion he has to escape his own understandings and his own failings as a person. For me, I felt it, and every time I listen to the track, I immediately want to look at myself and the wrongs I have inflicted emotionally and intellectually on others and myself because of being trapped within the confines of my own perceptions. The flaw of not looking at the world outside of one's own selfish nature and understanding.

"Hello Hurricane." I can't believe anyone could be disappointed by this track! It's simple, yes, but unassuming. There is no pretense on this track. The drums, the guitars--straightforward, but never boring, either. People on this thread seem to see that as a downfall, but it is completely intentional. This is a song that simply says that nothing that life has to offer can dissipate the hope that can be found in love and life itself. When Foreman sings, "Everything I have, I count as loss/ everything I have is stripped away/...there's nothing left for you to take away/...Hello hurricane, you're not enough/ hello hurricane, you can't silence my love," you can hear the passion with which Foreman is standing up against adversity, apathy, and indifference. He finds hope in the fact that whatever "fury" the storms might bring, love and passion will always overcome. Instead of wallowing in what is wrong, Foreman finds hope in the ability to always love. It is truly inspiring.

"Always," I have to say, is a completely spiritual song. I'm sorry if that rubs some folks the wrong way, but Switchfoot is a band that is deeply rooted in their faith, and Foreman has always written about God. Every album has some element of that, and I believe this is an overt confession and openness from Foreman to God. "This is the hole where most of your soul comes ripping out, from the places you've been torn/ and it is always Yours/ I am always Yours." This is Foreman putting the troubles in life completely in the hands of God, and the spiritual nature is absolutely solidified when he goes on to sing with his whole heart, "Hallelujah, I'm caving in/ Hallelujah, I'm in love again/ Hallelujah, I'm a wretched man/ Hallelujah, every breath is a second chance/ And it is always Yours/ I am always Yours..." This should be commended, completely, I think. This is Foreman bearing his heart to the God he believes in and has complete faith in when things go wrong, when the wounds are inflicted upon him. We need not be uncomfortable with this confession of faith, but be impressed by the hope he sings about.

Okay, so "Bullet Soul" steals completely from U2's "Vertigo." I will say that. From the chorus' main guitar riff to Foreman's "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-ing," there is that element that could make it seem a little less than their own material. But the main sound of the song is straight-up Switchfoot, especially for anyone familiar with their earlier sound on albums like The Legend of Chin and New Way to Be Human. This song is just a fun anthem to get the "children of the scars" to get past their pain (either internal or scars from being ignored or mocked by society) and to gather as a collective and do something to change the world! It is for the hopeful, the ones who have passion. It is a call to arms to do something--to be noticed for their love and passion.

"Yet" impresses with its soft tone and complete optimism. "I'll sing until my heart caves in/ No, you haven't lost me, yet..." is the essential nature of this album. When pain seems overwhelming, there is hope. The human spirit can overcome disappointment and failed attempts at filling empty voids. There is hope for finding oneself even if desperation and confusion seems to be pushing the soul to the edge. There is hope in passion, and Foreman communicates that so well with this track. And there is an honest element to this song when Jon sings, "If it doesn't break your heart, it isn't love/ If it doesn't break your heart, it's not enough/ It's when you're breaking down, with your insides coming out/ That's when you find out what your heart is made of/ And you haven't lost me, yet." It's hope in the face of desperation. Hope when you think you've gone through too much pain to go on. Foreman urges not only himself, but the listener to go on in hope.

While there didn't seem to be any negative comments about it, I just wanted to reiterate how amazing "Sing It Out" is. Definitely one of the band's finest songs.

While I might be inclined to agree that "Sing It Out" would have been a fine album closer, I don't think anyone should dismiss "Red Eyes." It's a solid track, and a good closer as is. There is a sense of reawakening with this track. From the beginning, it's like waking up from a dream. Or watching the sun rise. Rebirth. Coming out on the other end of a dark tunnel. Something that feels like there is an infinite hope in a new day--another day breathing. "Holding on, I'm holding on/ With red eyes/ What are you looking for?/ With red eyes/ What are you looking for?" Through tears and straining eyes, there is hope in "reaching for the other side." The storm has passed, the pain has been inflicted, tears shed, and now it's time to look forward through the tears and hope for brighter days. No, believe with every passion that brighter days are ahead! "What are you waiting for?"

This album brings Switchfoot back to the sound and songwriting that suits them best. Not pointing fingers, but looking for reasons to hope and love. They have expanded and grown in their sound (without pushing too far or being pretentious) and have matured in their songwriting. What more can we ask for? This is a completely solid album.

[limetang]

Id say the reveiw is mostly right.

However I have to disagree with the bad reveiw on the song free, which Ill be honest in my opinion is the best song on the album, lyrically its very good because although it has the negative outlook that blues lyrics contain it also contains an optimism throughout the lyrics which completments it well.

As far as it goes musically, its different to switchfoots songs, but I personally think the style suits them and that this is a very unappreciated song.

[NateFoundGlory]

After a few listens, I like it, but this cd definitely could have been better. Most sounds basically sound like wasted potential, I know they can do better. But overall I still enjoy it.


NOOO shut upp!!! dont be hating on switchfoot ever!
i respect your opinion and dont wish to offend you blah blah blah
BUT SERIOUSLY, i would love anything switchfoot created even if tim foreman sang a quick little diddy about turkey time.... you know???
at first i was upset with this album, but its a whole new sound for them! its brilliant and they spent a lot of time on this album....
SWITCHFOOT FOREVERRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

El oh el.

I cannot believe all the negative (or...lackluster, rather?) comments I'm reading. I haven't been able to stop listening to this album since it was released. I think this is one of Switchfoot's best albums (this one and "Nothing Is Sound" are my favorites). I could go into detailed defense of all the tracks on this album, but I'll just go with the ones that have been mentioned as disappointments by the majority of people commenting here.

I specifically love the lyrics on this album because Jon Foreman has moved away from the scathing, finger-pointing lyrics from Oh! Gravity. (which I liked, but didn't love), and has turned the finger to himself, if not putting it away in exchange for hope at surviving the storms that life has to offer (the "Hurricanes," as he has put it on this album). There is a great article in RELEVANT Magazine where he has decided that the bitter social commentary (which Gregory seems to like more) is not the appropriate approach to achieving the change of heart that he hopes to see in our nation and in the human condition as a whole. This message is apparent in "The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)," when Foreman sings, "this is the sound from the discontented mouths of a haunted nation/ WE are the voice of breaking down/ ...this is the sound of a desperation bound by OUR OWN collisions," there is a sense of need for change as a community, as human beings, not as selfish Americans, but as people as a whole. There is a call to action when Foreman sings, "there is no song louder than LOVE." Love is what he calls us to do. Not to protest or to be shrill, but to love. Love will change the landscape of apathy and indifference. Foreman is calling on everyone to love in order to save us from our "fallen condition." And that is what makes the song so strong in my opinion.

"Enough to Let Me Go" is an amazing song, lyrically because it is very much a song that recognizes the points in our lives when we are out of sync with the people we love. Sometimes we need to let go and find ourselves in order to come back and meet people on honest levels of love. I don't think there is a more honest song (outside of tortured Ryan Adams songs), where this kind of introspective nature is explored in such a beautiful way.

"Free" is spectacular because first of all, it is a different sound from anything they have put out. It's kind of edgy like "Dirty Second Hands" from Oh! Gravity but, again, instead of focusing, lyrically, on what everyone else is doing wrong, Foreman is looking for escape from himself. He is begging to be released from the "prison cell" inside his "shell." The desperation to find freedom from within ourselves is incredibly captivating and completely enthralling as a listener, because you can hear the passion he has to escape his own understandings and his own failings as a person. For me, I felt it, and every time I listen to the track, I immediately want to look at myself and the wrongs I have inflicted emotionally and intellectually on others and myself because of being trapped within the confines of my own perceptions. The flaw of not looking at the world outside of one's own selfish nature and understanding.

"Hello Hurricane." I can't believe anyone could be disappointed by this track! It's simple, yes, but unassuming. There is no pretense on this track. The drums, the guitars--straightforward, but never boring, either. People on this thread seem to see that as a downfall, but it is completely intentional. This is a song that simply says that nothing that life has to offer can dissipate the hope that can be found in love and life itself. When Foreman sings, "Everything I have, I count as loss/ everything I have is stripped away/...there's nothing left for you to take away/...Hello hurricane, you're not enough/ hello hurricane, you can't silence my love," you can hear the passion with which Foreman is standing up against adversity, apathy, and indifference. He finds hope in the fact that whatever "fury" the storms might bring, love and passion will always overcome. Instead of wallowing in what is wrong, Foreman finds hope in the ability to always love. It is truly inspiring.

"Always," I have to say, is a completely spiritual song. I'm sorry if that rubs some folks the wrong way, but Switchfoot is a band that is deeply rooted in their faith, and Foreman has always written about God. Every album has some element of that, and I believe this is an overt confession and openness from Foreman to God. "This is the hole where most of your soul comes ripping out, from the places you've been torn/ and it is always Yours/ I am always Yours." This is Foreman putting the troubles in life completely in the hands of God, and the spiritual nature is absolutely solidified when he goes on to sing with his whole heart, "Hallelujah, I'm caving in/ Hallelujah, I'm in love again/ Hallelujah, I'm a wretched man/ Hallelujah, every breath is a second chance/ And it is always Yours/ I am always Yours..." This should be commended, completely, I think. This is Foreman bearing his heart to the God he believes in and has complete faith in when things go wrong, when the wounds are inflicted upon him. We need not be uncomfortable with this confession of faith, but be impressed by the hope he sings about.

Okay, so "Bullet Soul" steals completely from U2's "Vertigo." I will say that. From the chorus' main guitar riff to Foreman's "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-ing," there is that element that could make it seem a little less than their own material. But the main sound of the song is straight-up Switchfoot, especially for anyone familiar with their earlier sound on albums like The Legend of Chin and New Way to Be Human. This song is just a fun anthem to get the "children of the scars" to get past their pain (either internal or scars from being ignored or mocked by society) and to gather as a collective and do something to change the world! It is for the hopeful, the ones who have passion. It is a call to arms to do something--to be noticed for their love and passion.

"Yet" impresses with its soft tone and complete optimism. "I'll sing until my heart caves in/ No, you haven't lost me, yet..." is the essential nature of this album. When pain seems overwhelming, there is hope. The human spirit can overcome disappointment and failed attempts at filling empty voids. There is hope for finding oneself even if desperation and confusion seems to be pushing the soul to the edge. There is hope in passion, and Foreman communicates that so well with this track. And there is an honest element to this song when Jon sings, "If it doesn't break your heart, it isn't love/ If it doesn't break your heart, it's not enough/ It's when you're breaking down, with your insides coming out/ That's when you find out what your heart is made of/ And you haven't lost me, yet." It's hope in the face of desperation. Hope when you think you've gone through too much pain to go on. Foreman urges not only himself, but the listener to go on in hope.

While there didn't seem to be any negative comments about it, I just wanted to reiterate how amazing "Sing It Out" is. Definitely one of the band's finest songs.

While I might be inclined to agree that "Sing It Out" would have been a fine album closer, I don't think anyone should dismiss "Red Eyes." It's a solid track, and a good closer as is. There is a sense of reawakening with this track. From the beginning, it's like waking up from a dream. Or watching the sun rise. Rebirth. Coming out on the other end of a dark tunnel. Something that feels like there is an infinite hope in a new day--another day breathing. "Holding on, I'm holding on/ With red eyes/ What are you looking for?/ With red eyes/ What are you looking for?" Through tears and straining eyes, there is hope in "reaching for the other side." The storm has passed, the pain has been inflicted, tears shed, and now it's time to look forward through the tears and hope for brighter days. No, believe with every passion that brighter days are ahead! "What are you waiting for?"

This album brings Switchfoot back to the sound and songwriting that suits them best. Not pointing fingers, but looking for reasons to hope and love. They have expanded and grown in their sound (without pushing too far or being pretentious) and have matured in their songwriting. What more can we ask for? This is a completely solid album.

How bout next time just submit your own review, eh?

[egonsmith]

i'm surprised there are so many people disappointed with this album. i thought oh gravity was a bummer, but i think switchfoot has certainly redeemed themselves with this one. i think learning to breathe and hello hurricane are probably their best albums. also, i don't know how they do it everytime, but red eyes is yet again another perfect album closer.

[Lauren5794]

First of all, I would verify that "Sound (John M. Perkins Blues)" as actually called, "THE Sound (John M. Perkins Blues)" which you would know, if you had actually spent any time with this album. Your second error is in the song "Enough to Let Go" is actually "Enough to Let ME Go". The lyric that you quoted was misquoted. If you want to write a justifiable review on this song, I would request that you would pay enough attention to the lyrics to quote them. I'm not asking for an A+ review, just for you to get it right. You can't silence my love for Switchfoot<3

[sharper16]

Nothing this band will ever do compares to The Beautiful Letdown
Nothing is Sound was definitely better in my opinion. I can't see how it would disappoint.

[----->]

SWITCHFOOT!!!!

how is it compared to Oh! Gravity??

[stephanc]

Can't agree more!!! "Your love is a song" is gorgeously sweet!!!