Review Summary: We've been living in strange times
Since the pandemic, it seems like Switchfoot have been on something of a musical redemption arc. The 2010s saw the band exploring their softer side to varying (and mostly middling) results, but with 2021’s
Interrobang something interesting started to happen. I could hear hints of passion in Jon Foreman’s voice again; on ‘Splinter’, when he shouted “my mind is at war”, you could almost sense aggression boiling beneath the surface. It was a different and healthy change of pace for the spiritually charged band who occasionally deliver music a little too rosy for what this world in its present state calls for. Enter
Forever Now, the band’s most unapologetic rock record since
Vice Verses, and a commentary on the difficulties of navigating life in 2026.
When the world you used to trust
Is in pieces all around you
It’s not what you thought it was
Shake the dust, shake the dust
When your empire starts to rust
Between the brash lead single ‘Wake Up, Mr. Crow’ where Foreman screams about living in strange times, and passages like the above from ‘Shake The Dust’, it’s clear that Switchfoot feel compelled to write about the current state of affairs from a somewhat constructive slant. They don’t claim to have a master plan, as they acknowledge during an the infectious groove on ‘Same Blood’ (“All the king’s horsеs and all the king’s men / Couldn’t put this planet back together once again”), but there’s a desire to get down to business, hands dirty, and do whatever it takes to fix this mess – even if that means forgiveness (“Germany shot my grandpa down, but he survivеd to love that same German town / Thе former soldiers that he met with his American accent / He only talked to me about the common ground, he said”). There are moments where the lyrics tackle corruption on the most disturbing of levels, with ‘Darkness’ taking the cake: “The youth pastor from my parish pledged to marry the 10th grade girl from down the street / Strange way to start a song, even stranger to belong / To that same youth group when I was just fifteen / To this day I still don’t understand / All the things that masquerade as God.” In this album’s quest for healing, uncomfortable topics are broached – not always in the most enlightening or truly productive way – but at least with enough fervor to lend
Forever Now a true identity and tangible sense of purpose.
Buried within the album’s observations on the bleak state of humanity is a loosely-tied plotline about a man living the last day of his life. As we follow Mr. Crow through his dystopian routine, the lyrics mainly pose questions aimed towards making you wonder what you’d change if you knew you were about to die. It’s not the most original idea for a concept album, but the words sung are often inspiring, even if only vaguely: “I could swear that I was born for something more / Could you show me what these broken wings are for?” The entire “concept album” portion of this release is worth wading through primarily because it culminates in the incredible closer ‘The Butterfly Effect’, a poignant, explosive rock crescendo of a final chapter that sees Mr. Crow pass away in a car crash after opting not to take a sick day for his cough. It’s a reminder of the ripple effect that every little decision we make has – from the tiniest implications to death or societal change. There’s no guarantee that whatever decision you make today, tomorrow, or the next day will be the right one – but either way, it starts with you.
So much of Switchfoot’s appeal is rooted in their knack for spinning meaningful narratives within their work, but it’s prudent to mention that
Forever Now is also one of their strongest works musically. The electric guitars are ramped up and buzzing throughout, making it one of their heaviest releases, but there were no sacrifices made on the melodic front either as the album consistently bursts through with worthwhile, memorable hooks. It doesn’t
quite measure up to
interrobang’s sonic experimentation or
The Beautiful Letdown’s sprawling sense of spiritual liberation, but
Forever Now comfortably resides among the
Vice Verses and
Hello Hurricanes of their discography, and may actually surpass them thanks this thing’s sheer grittiness. This is a very solidly crafted, consistently compelling work that begs its listeners to take positive action – whether its for themselves or those around them. There are more innovative bands out there, but in terms of pure inspiration,
Forever Now proves that Switchfoot’s still got it.
