Switchfoot isn't your average rock group - they don't try to "rock out" with everything they make, helping them to focus more on the depth of their songs. Jon Foreman is an amazing songwriter and vocalist, one who I would consider one of the better male vocalists in rock today. Switchfoot is also one of the best bands, in my opinion, on slow, full band, acoustic styled ballads. MTV and VH1 have recently been milking this band's obvious talent ("Meant to Live" and "Dare You to Move"), which is a first I've seen in an alternative Christian band.
1. Bomb (2:45)
Catchy song, as are most Switchfoot songs, that starts with a great bass intro. It picks up nicely, pulling you into the song slowly before kicking into a more relaxed version of the chorus. Jon's vocals are very soft at the beginning of this song, then show what he can really do behind a mic when the second chorus starts. I don't see how the bass, drums, or guitar could've been played any better in this song - Switchfoot really knows how to work their instruments for their style of music.
4/5
2. Chem 6A (3:11)
Arguably the best song on the CD, "Chem 6A" takes the point of view of a lazy teenager not wanting to learn. With lyrics like "I think I'd rather play around/And I think I'd rather watch TV/'Cause I don't want to face my fears/I'll watch the movie," this song seems to be saying that the teenage generation of today is getting extremely lazy. The guitar riff in this song is awesome - one of the most fun riffs I've played (and again, catchy).
5/5
3. Underwater (3:47)
This song immediately starts out with a catchy, head bobbing rhythm to it (not head banging...but head bobbing). Just like the first two songs, it's a much more fun feeling, not really serious at all. From what I get from the lyrics of this song (Switchfoot writes very well, and many times, whole songs are metaphors for something more), it's about a girl whose life is the same every day, and she never meets anyone who's any different than the others. One of the final lyrics, "Now she's six feet down," hints at the woman dying, although I'm not exactly sure.
4/5
4. Edge of My Seat (2:47)
It starts out with more of the feel of "Bomb" (sort of softer), then picks up again, leading to another catchy song. Don't be confused, though, the songs on this cd are very diverse from each other, no two sound the same. From the verses, this song seems to be about not being able to expect anything, so Jon is "Sitting on the edge of my seat." The chorus seems a different theme, though, so I'll hold off on getting philosophical, or whatever.
4/5
5. Home (4:03)
Finally, we see one of my favorite elements of Switchfoot - their slower songs. I don't think I've ever heard a soft song by Switchfoot that I didn't like and think was beautiful. Again, the instruments are played perfectly, and extremely well executed. Violins are added to the background, and are just perfect for completing the more relaxed atmosphere of this song.
5/5
6. Might Have Ben Hur (2:38)
Once again, we're in the catchyness of Switchfoot's songwriting abilities. A very odd title (especially since the chorus actually says "been her"), but a good song nonetheless. The intro starts with a catchy bass line, then comes in with some nice power chords, and turns softer again (adding some slower guitar riffs to make it seem softer). Throughout the rest of the song, it switches between the second two of those for the chorus, and even parts of verses.
3.5/5
7. Concrete Girl (5:05)
This song reminds me of "Home" for the first 42 seconds, then brings in some distorted electric, picks up a little with the drums, then calms back down again. Not much else I can add on this, because it does follows this formula until the end, where it stays calm until it slowly fades from the speakers completely.
3/5
8. Life and Love and Why (2:52)
From other reviews on other sites I've seen, this seems to be the least favorite song on this cd, but I love it. It's one of the only times on the cd that Switchfoot comes straight out (while still speaking slightly more metaphorically), says what they're living for, and says that the only way to really be living is for God ("All of your hoping/And all of your searching/For what?/Ask me for what am I living/Or what gives me strength/That I'm willing to die for"). I, myself, am Agnostic, so I don't necessarily agree, but the song is very well put together, and as always, lyrically great.
4/5
9. You (4:13)
Wow, this is a
beautiful song. Next to "Chem 6A", this has to be my other favorite song from this CD. Again, they get much softer, and come straight out and say what they're living for ("But hope is not in what I know/It's not in me/It's in You/It's in You"), but wow, this song shows just how great of musicians they are. Violins come into the background about halfway through, making this song even more beautiful than it already was.
5/5
10. Ode to Chin (2:15)
Picking up the pace once again, "Ode to Chin" starts out with distorted electric, which is probably one of the first songs I've heard from them like this (aside from "Meant to Live", but that's not on this album). This song is sort of (at least, from the chorus) saying to everyone to just do what they want to do ("Grow, grow where you are/Anchor your roots underneath/Doubt your doubts, and believe your beliefs"). A very good faster paced song.
4/5
11. Don't be There (4:22)
This song is just Jon singing and playing acoustic until about 1:10, then it brings in a violin, yet it's another beautiful, slower, softer song. This song seems to be using metaphors to say that Jon isn't worth the eternal life that Jesus Christ promised (again, I'm Agnostic, I'm just being open-minded in this) with lyrics like, "If you're a rose/Then I'm the thorn/That's in your side." Once again, though, this shows what a wonderful songwriter Jon Foreman really is (seeing as he
did write all the lyrics and band parts for this cd). Much more of a sad feeling than Switchfoot's other slow songs, but amazing still.
5/5
Overall:
Switchfoot's debut album is definitely one of my favorites out of the 4 they've made thus far, and I encourage everyone to give it a listen. This isn't the best cd, or a perfect one, but it shows Switchfoot's versatility in their genre of music, and that they know what they're doing. That is why I'm giving this album a
4/5.
