Cons: Several Bad Songs and Several others lacking
The Bottom Line: I was really excited about this album, but I have to say I'm disappointed. Despite great potential, a lot of the songs just don't deliver.
zorrothepiking's Full Review: Oh! Gravity. by Switchfoot
Oh! Switchfoot... I wish it weren't true. I bought, I listened, and I was disappointed. I love switchfoot. I have been listening to them for quite a while now, and I've always been surprised by their new releases. They tend to be a very dynamic band. Each new album showed a different side of their quirky take on rock. Usually, I am very pleased with their shifts. This time, though, I think they missed the mark.
About Switchfoot and the Album
Switchfoot was born out of California, jumping right into the Chrisian Music scene with their debut, 1997 release of Legend of Chin. This album had a dark, jazzy sound to it. There was a lot of experimentation, quirky melodies, and emotive vocals. Something was definitely different about this band. Songs like Chem 6A made a big splash, and established them as immediately noteworthy. In my area, their popularity really took off after their sophomore release, New Way to Be Human. Switchfoot has always been carried along by stand-out songs and solid albums. New Way to Be Human presented a raw, California Rock sound and hit it big with Company Car and the title track. Then came the landmark release Learning to Breathe which featured Dare You to Move, which anyone familiar with the scene became quickly familiar with. These were followed by The Beautiful Letdown and Nothing Is Sound, which had Meant to Live and Stars, respectively.
So here we are. Surely their sound continues to develop into a crisp, unique, and mature sound, right? Surely they have at least one song that really stands out, yeah? Some great, inspiring lyrics? Clever new riffs? Well, let me convey what I hear when I pop in this album:
The Music
The album kicks off with the title track, a high energy rocker. Like I said, this song has energy. There is wailing in the mic and wailing on the guitars. For me, though, there are some missing components. The first is cohesion. Instead of the electrics (both full-on distorted) complementing eachother, the sound comes across really muddy. To be fair, it's hard to tell how long both guitars are playing and when/if they switch to just one. Either way, though, the sound never cleans up. There is also an extra sound in the background that spends most of the song sliding up and down. Not only is it pretty overpowering (being louder than most of the band), but it also has a tendancy to not quite make it to the pitch. They slide up until it's time to slide down, occasionally falling flat of the actual note. As you might imagine, it's distracting and particularly unenjoyable.
The other problem with this opening song is the dynamics. With album number 6, there seems to be a formula for their big song. It seems like they were aiming for that. Lots of electric, emotive (and sometimes yelling) vocals, pulling it way down for a second to build up again, etc. Look at the big hits on their last three albums (Dare you to Move, Meant to Live, and Stars). The pattern is there. This time, though, it isn't well done. It feels like most of the song just bangs away with lots of noise and the expected yelling. When they do bring it back, they do not do so smoothly, nor do they take the time to really let the music build back up before going full blast again. It's kinda hard to explain how disappointed I am with this song (which is why I'm talking about it so much). It has all the elements that I love about switchfoot, but the final result is a song I don't enjoy and don't want to listen to.
Now, on to the second song American Dream. In my opinion, this is a much better song and would have been better suited to an album opener. It keeps the energy, but the vocals seem more natural and the band seems to really catch a great groove. There is a cool interchange of instruments, and a distorted background vocal that gives the verses a cool feel. They still use some synth sounds here, but the fit well with the overall groove and really complement the song. The dynamics are smooth and captivating, and the song closes out strong.
At this point in the album, I always start thinking that the first song might just be a misstep and that the album as a whole isn't facing the same issues. Then comes Dirty Second Hands. If you are a fan of their early work, you'll immediately notice the throw back to Legend of Chin, which is something I've been wanting for a while. After all, I loved that album, and the opening riff sports that dark riff sound I've been hoping for. So it must be cool, right? I don't like it. The first part of the song is really REALLY disjointed musically. They change back and forth between so many sounds, instruments, styles, etc so fast that it gives it completely disrupts the flow of the song. It really is all over the place. When they aren't changing instruments, there is clapping in the background or people saying "whoo" at different pitches(?). The song explodes into high energy rock in several places, but the bottom immediately drops out and your left wondering where they went. The end of the song starts to pull things together, but it's too little too late. Again, it's not that the riffs aren't interesting or that there are no dynamics. The problem is simply overdoing every aspect of the song until it loses all feel of flow and cohesion.
After that downer comes one of the brightest points of the album, Awakening. You really will need an awakening after the drag of the last song. Awakening gives you a taste of a different sound. In fact, it's not particularly like any song they've done before. It is in line with their later work, and is probably what I was expecting the whole album to be like. The sound is clean and refined, without overproduction and distracting additions, full of dynamics, builds, and emotion. An all-around great song. Strong, upbeat, and passionate. If any song on this album deserves attention, it's this song. Is it enough to justify the album? We'll see.
Next comes Circles, which starts with an unusual intro. The sound is playful if a little dark, but it runs together well and moves along nicely. The prechorus opens things up with some clean sounds, leading into a chorus that really cranks. Again, the dynamics are good and the song has a very put-together feel to it. Pretty good, really. The only problem I have with this song is that it feels like the chorus is a little empty. There is a lack of high-end sound from band. I don't like having to adjust EQ just to enjoy a song, but even with trying that, it still feels lacking. A great song, but I wish they had filled out the sound a little more.
Amateur Lovers starts off like an old Audio Adrenaline song, strong bass lead-in and classic distorted electric sound. The verses are fun and laid back. Unfortunately, I don't like the chorus that much, and surprisingly, this is largely due to the vocals. Switchfoot likes to play with the yellsing vocal style, but they mix in a sliding thing. With a slideyellsing feel, things start to clash. I feel like he's rarely on the note that fits, and this is "complemented" with parts of pure yelling. While the emotion in this song is pretty high and the music on the chorus is great, the vocals are just too sloppy for me. I do like the way it ends, though, with the band letting loose.
Another song that pulls from their earlier work is Faust, Midas, and Myself. I love the verses. They are low and captivating, and you know that there is some big energy coming. Sure enough, you hit that chorus and that electric jumps in. Somehow, though, they again leave the sound a bit empty. Now, the vocals on this song are absolutely awesome, including background. They are everything I'm looking for from Switchfoot, but the band again leaves the sound hollow. The "high energy" keeps all the band in the lower range. I miss that balanced guitar sound of Beautiful Letdown. I miss that raw crunch of Company Car. Still, there is so much energy that I love the song anyway. Another heart-breaker is the fact that they only let loose in the chorus one time, though they do give us another high energy part. They also add in some strings to give the verses a smooth, full feel. I just wish the chorus had been given the same attention. But overall though, a good song that's a blast to listen to.
Head Over Heels (In This Life) comes next, with a pretty good mix. Again, I'm not thrilled with the production, but I thing the song is well written. It's kinda of a slow rocker, with as much emotion and energy. The song moves smoothly between different sections, and the band sounds good. The vocals are great again, including the nice echo effects. This song is solid and a good representation of their sound, though it is not particularly ground-breaking. This is followed by Yesterday. This is one of the slower songs on the album. I've always been impressed with Switchfoot's ability to keep a slow song interesting thoughout. They do a pretty good job here, playing with the bass line and adding in some piano and synthetic stuff. The interchange is effective, but there is an overall lack of energy and dynamics which makes the song lag.
Things turn back up with Burn Out Bright, which is probably one of the best put together songs on the album. The band has a great balance, with a full sound and cohesion that some earlier songs have lacked. The verses are strong and solid, with a let-loose chorus that brings a lot of excitement to the whole mix. I also love the vocals here, with their incredible energy. This is definitely one of the strongest songs on the album and one of my favorites. I think this might have been a good choice for an album opener.
4:12 comes next, which almost has a supertones feel to it during verses. The groove is fast and poppy, and the bass line adds a lot to the feel. And just when you think you have this song figured out, there is a shift. You hit a low part with some nice strings and a smooth sound, then the energy starts building and erupts in a quirky, high-impact closer. It almost sounds like a jam session as they pound away into the fade out. It's raw, but really fun to listen. Then comes the last song on the album, Let Your Love Be Strong. If you know they're music, you'll probably think back to 24, and they share a lot of common elements. For one, the song is largely acoustic with a progression that is pretty repetitive. With its simplistic foundation, the focus automatically shifts to the vocals, which to an awesome job. You always know when Switchfoot is wanting you to pay attention to what they're singing. The whole song builds and surges in response to the vocals, filling in harmonies and a general richness to the sound. I wish all of their elements had evolved as much as this. It really is a spectacular song.
Lyrics
When I write reviews, I like to do so in a way that kinda leads the reader through the album, which is why I like to go song by song and discuss everything that sticks out. Usually this means discussing the lyrics with the music, but I haven't even mentioned those yet. Why? Because I was so captivated with the sound the first couple listens (both good and bad), that I didn't even stop to listen to the words. Most of the songs on this album are really good or really bad musically, and that's all that held my attention for a while.
Switchfoot isn't in the business of singing the "God is super cool, I love him, you should, too" type songs. Even as their themes have transformed through their releases, a common thread is that every message is applicable to the listener. Generally, they also focus on society as a whole, and all of this can be said of Oh! Gravity, too. So what does switchfoot have to tell us this time? Well, quite a bit, actually.
Looking over the various songs and repeated themes, it's pretty clear that switchfoot organized the music according to how their songs fit musically instead of thematically. Instead of breaking apart the ideas, though, i'll just group them up for you. The biggest theme of the album is a theme that can be traced back to their earlier work. This theme is the idea that there is more to life than the basic grind. This Something More mentality is a classic for them, and shows up first in American Dream. This song talks about what happens when "success is equated with excess". He sings about how his American Dream isn't for wealth, but rather for a life with greater meaning. We can find a similar theme in 4:12, which sings about being really enthusiastic and focussed, and then having life slowly sap it away as you deal with the difficulties and disappointments of life. All of us have experienced this: you have something big really charge you, and then life just seems to smack you upside the head. Life seems to have an amazing ability to steal your motivation, doesn't it? This is echoed in Circles, which is about living day after day of meaningless effort. It contains these words:
Am I alive?
Am I on purpose?
Within the weakness
I've lost all that I wanted to leave
I've lost all that I wanted to be
Don't believe that there's nothing that's true
Don't believe in this modern machine!
The modern machine
This is not the only time it refers to our society as a machine, in which we are reduced to a droll and unfulfilling life of professions and devoid of our true potential. In fact, this idea of a failed and degenerating society is a second major theme. American Dream says "I want out of this machine. It doesn't feel like freedom". Also, Dirty Second Hands makes a lot more sense in this context. While I originally thought that "dirty second hands" referred to something left over, it actually refers to the hands of a clock. As we plug along in this superficial and meaningless society, time is stealing our chances of breaking free from all this and making a real impact. It refers to this life as "Man versus Machine and the Dirty Second Hands." It wasn't until looking at the entire album as a whole that this song even made sense to me. The title track, Oh! Gravity, is along this same theme, too. It focuses more on the degeneration, singing:
Why this tragedy?
Why can't we seem to keep it together?
Oh! Gravity!
Why can't we seem to pull it together now?
In my opinion, the real capstone of this theme is the song Faust, Midas, and Myself, which basically describes a nightmare that he has. He finds himself surrounded by Gold, using the Midas Metaphor to again drive home the idea about the dangers of greed:
I looked outside the glass
At the golden shores
Golden Ships and Masts
With Golden cords
As my reflection passed
I hated what I saw
My eyes were dead
And a thought passed through my head
A heart that is made of gold can't really beat at all
I love the metaphor. I think it works great, and the imagery of this song is just fantastic. Amateur Lovers talks about the fact that we all need love, but that the love that we are able to provide for eachother will always leave us wanting more. So where are we, then? If this regular life of ours is counter to what we should be aiming for and if our society is degenerating, what does switchfoot expect us to do about it? Well, there is a sort of Awakening described in, appropriately enough, Awakening. It talks about realizing that we are falling with the sky and rain and that we are with our desperate youth and pain. This effect (the opening of our lives to the truth), seems to be an effect that switchfoot has been trying to create for many albums now, and it's really neat to hear them put it this way.
Head Over Heels and Let Your Love Be Strong are both about committment to God despite the difficulties they see. Head Over Heels sings that that God is "the mark that I'm aiming for". It's about being completely devoted. Similarly, Let Your Love Be Strong contains these lines:
Let your love be strong, and I don't care what goes down
Let your love be strong enough to weather through the thunder cloud
Fury and thunder clap like stealing the fire from your eyes
All of my world hanging on your love
In Burn Out Bright, we are told that knows that this life is his only chance to live right. He says that "the future is a question mark of kerosene and electric sparks" and that "there's still fire in you yet." Instead of accepting this world as it is, he wants to make whatever impact he can. Before he dies, he wants to "Burn Out Bright". Yesterdays is unlike any song they've done before, but I believe it's tied to Burn Out Bright. Yesterdays is about the death of a close friend. He is recalling the good times he spent with that friend, and singing about how difficult of a time he is having with letting go. Surely the death of a friend well remind someone that life is short (Dirty Second Hands) and that we must make whatever impact we can in the time we are given (Burn Out Bright).
Lyrically, this album is rock solid and completely attuned to the theme of the band. Instead of focusing on praise or on meaningless happy songs, switchfoot delivers a message that can have a real impact on its listeners. In essence, we are here temporarily. Life is hard and it is easy to get distracted with what we are doing. The problem is that our society as a whole is not uplifting and we are losing time and the chance to make the difference we have been called to make. It's a message that will surely resonate with many of its listeners and one which I personally appreciate. It's easy to get distracted living and forget to take the time to make an impact. Christian or not, the idea that it takes real focus to make an impact on the world around you is applicable and powerful. Lyrically, well done fellas!
And on a Happy Note
This new album does not have the copy protection the old album had. This is very important to me, as I listen to my music on many different devices and an inability to upload music onto my computer was a real problem that I had to deal with on Nothing Is Sound. Much appreciated! This is even more important after the untimely death of my car's CD player, so listening at work on my computer is great. After all, this isn't a CD I want to cart back and forth all day.
Overall
Ok, so what's my overall opinion of the album? Well, I think they really missed with several of the songs. In my opinion, you can excuse a few cheesy lyrics if the song rocks, but it's hard for me to put up with a bad song just because the lyrics are meaningful. In favor of the album are a handful of outstanding songs and great lyrics all around, as well as the removal of the copy protection. Unfortunately, there are also several songs that fall short of what I was looking for and several others that are just downright unenjoyable. Now, I recognize that many people (both longtime fans and otherwise) have listened to this album and love the songs I have had problems with it. I encourage you to check out the album to see how it fits with your style. If, however, you've never heard Switchfoot and want an album to check out, I highly recommend going with some of their earlier stuff. In my opinion, their best album is still New Way to Be Human, but I'd also recommend any of their other albums over this one.
Oh! Gravity is Switchfoot s sixth studio album, their third for Columbia Records. After 2003 s double-platinum selling, The Beautiful Letdown, and ano...More at Buy.com
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