My first thought after listening to it for the first time was that it would be awesome if we had a time machine, so we could go back to before this record came out and either convince the members of Switchfoot that putting this record out was a bad idea, or kill them. Kinda savage, I know, but if that’s the price we have to pay to have this horror NOT unleashed on the world, then so be it. That was just a visceral reaction, and obviously my hatred of this album has lessened some. It is not, however, enough to keep me from anti-recommending this abortion with extreme prejudice.
From the very first second of the record, Switchfoot takes a wrong step. The song “Oh! Gravity.” sounds like a throwback to the worst part of the 80s, the part with wild hairstyles and spandex pants. The title is horrible for the song, let alone naming the album after it. After that comes “American Dream,” one of the only listenable tracks on the album. I kind of appreciate the disillusionment he expresses on this and “Circles,” but it’s getting a little old, as that was the central idea behind Nothing is Sound. “Dirty Second Hands” has a discombobulating and inconsistent groove to it, and while it does kind of intrigue me, it’s just too sloppy to be worth it. “Awakening” harkens back to the days of Learning to Breathe and The Beautiful Letdown, and the respite is welcome. And “Head Over Heels” has a mournful aspect to it that is kind of nice, even if Jon Foreman shouts where he should whisper.
I haven’t touched on the incredible ineptitude and presumption that the album displays, however. My first example is “Amateur Lovers.” First off, this song is an attempt at a carbon copy of the Nothing is Sound track “Easier Than Love,” which is a horrible enterprise at the very start. “Easier Than Love” smartly took an abstract and personified it, and that leaves “Amateur Lovers” with nowhere to go. Jon Foreman must have been trying to make up for the lack of ideas by upping the intensity of the song, but he sounds like an over-excited tuberculosis patient when he does that. I don’t understand the shift towards gruff intensity that Switchfoot has taken in their last few albums, since they do subtle beauty so much better. This song is horrible, and I’m surprised that Switchfoot thought we were stupid enough to fall for it.
My second example is “Faust, Midas, and Myself.” This song has problems up the Yangtze, from tune (unmemorable) to rhythm (grating) to lyrics (shut up, just shut up) to variety of sound (it has none). The lyrics represent Foreman’s tendency towards very cerebral and philosophical songwriting gone awry. The song has an absolutely wretched title (that makes two), and the music is wrong-headed and infantile. My third example is “
I better wrap up this review before I get too angry. When the anger fades, however, there will only remain disappointment that Switchfoot has hit their first low. It’s one of inept musicality, and worse, derision towards the audience.
American Dream
4 comments:
Wow, that bad? Really?
Granted, I was never Switchfoot's biggest apologist, but I find myself having the same reaction you described. How could it be so terrible? Needless to say, I desperately want to hear the album now.
But here's my question: Switchfoot had pretty much reached the pinnacle of the Christian rock scene. Is this so bad that music lovers in search of an alternative to secular music will cast Switchfoot by the wayside and search for another musical savior? Or will they say, "They're Christian; therefore, I like them."
Wow, I've never heard you so against...anything. Thanks for the warning. I've liked some Switchfoot in the past, and I've meant to get an album or two for awhile now. Good thing I know which one NOT to get.
2 questions: any ideas as to what happened with Switchfoot this time around?
If you could recommend one Switchfoot album, what would it be?
i think it will be the latter, DW. too many Christians like the music they like purely because it is Christian. Switchfoot firmly established themselves the the Christian music world before crossing over to the secular market, so they have an entire cadre of fans who like them just because their Christian. now, Switchfoot is one of the least "Jesus is awesome" Christian bands out there, trumped only by U2 and Sunny Day Real Estate. but they still have that cadre, and some of them are so dumb as to say "i don't care if my music is quality so long as it's Christian." bands like Delirious and Jars of Clay can even get away with songs like "White Ribbon Day" and "Silence" that question God and exhibit an apparent lack of faith because some of that cadre are so blind.
sorry i didn't get back to you right away, WLC.
#1: i can't really explain it, other than to say that i think they just ran out of ideas. more than others, this record seems like a retread, in more than one way. they've scaled the heights of popularity, but have used up all their creativity in the process. now that they've got the world's attention, they have nothing left to say.
#2: The Beautiful Letdown. that album achieves the greatest balance between intensity, subtlety, and catchiness, and really brings those elements together in just the right way. songs to pay extra attention to on that one are "Dare You to Move," "This is Your Life," and "Gone."
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