By the time of this, their sixth studio album, releasing Dec. 26, the San Diego-based band had decided to deliberately lay aside the commercial pressures and make the album they wanted to record. That sense of liberation richly permeates the twelve slammin’ tracks of “Oh! Gravity.” It’s a thrill ride of sonic pleasures, with all of the Switchfoot delights we’ve come to treasure. There’s the playful yet dead-on political songs (the pounding zeal and dissonant keys of the title track powerfully illustrate the frustration of “why can’t we seem to keep it together?”), and their percolating take on our technology-dependent society (the rage-against-the-machines alt-blues of “Dirty Second Hand”). The passionate quintet aims their articulate and exacting writing chops at dead cultural perspectives on tracks like “4:12” and “Circles.” The first is the album’s bouncy opener, coming on strong with edgy guitar blasts, scattering crunchy treats that hold your attention long enough for Jon Foreman to question our relentless focus on the material world. The exotic groove of “Circles” continues to look into the purposelessness of our selfish quests, powerfully exemplifying our vanity with a swirl of sophisticated sound and percolating rhythms. The more direct “American Dream” contains a sharp bite within its catchy rock hooks: “I want out of this machine/ it doesn’t feel like freedom,” adding the plaintive refrain, “this ain’t my American dream.”
But here’s the beauty, the genious, the brilliance of the well-oiled machine that is Switchfoot: their message of challenge and presentation of spiritual questions and references are couched thoughtfully and lovingly in a bed of exceptional, well-executed music. Their own faith perspective is unapologetically present, though with no overt references. Rather, their lyrics point continually and gently upward in a manner accessible and in fact, seemingly irresistible for its loveliness. They bring U2 to mind; both bands offer superlative rock and raise provocative questions, but Switchfoot manages to do so with no underlying shadow. In this way, they have much to teach the Christian community, players and non-musicians alike.
The second half of “Oh! Gravity” is every bit as great as the first, with the stellar melody line and instrumentation of “Faust, Midas, & Myself,” moving on several levels. “Head Over Heels (In This Life)” is a straight-up exuberant love song and things slow down for the quiet acoustic guitar of the wondrous “Let Your Love Be Strong,” Foreman’s soft vocals painting portraits of emptiness that sensitively point to the supremacy of Another. Masterfully done. This track alone will move many to consider Who Else may be out there.
“Oh! Gravity” closes with the gentle rock of “Yesterdays,” addressing the ache of death from within the framework of Chad Butler’s solid drums and more shimmering guitar moments. The song soars with hope and again, powerfully evocative images: “Adrift on your ocean floor/ I feel weightless, numb, and sore/ A part of you and me is torn/ You’re free.”
On this immaculately produced album, Jon Foreman and crew have raised the bar for us all in terms of salt and light, musical excellence and oh yeah, they remind us all to have fun doing it. “Oh! Gravity”: a good time was had by all.
