without actually saying . . .Christ! "  by Alex Muirhead

           Style: Rock / Alternative / Pop        

 

 From the humble beginnings of the Legend Of Chin album, to the mainstream marketing of Columbia Records for Nothing Is Sound. Switchfoot has been bringing their form of Diego Rock since there inception.

      

       They have created their own sound, and I have to admit they really don't sound like anyone else I know. Their music pulsates with such meaning, you can just feel each note and chord oozing with passion. Not to mention their lyrics are that of pure poetry; it all comes together in one steadfast motion. They ask the questions that make us think, 'Is there more out there than we know?'. Com'n now admit it, we've all thought that at one time or another. Thinking of who else there is, beyond me, my church, my life. It is these types of questions you will find all up and in Switchfoot's music. And don't worry about your mind wondering in thought. Jon Foreman said "We make music for thinking people." Their songs are meant to trigger your mind, and to challenge everything you are. From their smash hit that put them in the mainstream, which says, "We were meant to live for so much more, have we lost ourselves?" To the self evaluating song, "This is your life, are you who you want to be?" To the first song from Nothing Is Sound, "Singing without tongues, screaming without lungs, I want more than my lonely nation, I want more than my lonely nation. Desperate we are young, separate we are one, I want more than my desperation, I want more than my lonely nation." 

      

       For those of you who loved The Beautiful Letdown album and have heard from some friends or a website that with this Nothing Is Sound record Switchfoot has sold out. I've got a newsflash for you, it's false! I mean give me a break! They have lyrically made just as strong, if not a little stronger, pro-follow-Christ album than The Beautiful Letdown was. Those who accuse Switchfoot of selling out need to check the history of the band, because the secret is that since they started, they've been making "thinking people's music". Where one must connect the dots, cause if one does, they will find Him. Switchfoot has never been a band to profess Jesus from the rooftops. Now if you ask anyone of them, they will tell you about their faith, however if the door isn't knocked, it just isn't going to be opened. Truthfully, I believe for them, it's a great thing; not many bands can convey Christ without actually saying..........Christ!

      

       I encourage anyone who has loved the last two efforts by Switchfoot to please (if you haven't already) check out their previous works. Lyrically speaking you will find more of the same deep stuff. But I must tell you that musically, back then, they were more raw sounding. Particularly because they were only a trio then, and also since their songs on those albums were not as 'produced', with effects etc... Comparing to their last two records, especially Nothing Is Sound, a lot of sweet sounding things are going on there. One example is the song 'The Shadow Proves The Sunshine' where to get the type of reverb sound they desired Jon recorded the vocal for it singing into the base of a piano. And it sounds just incredible, and really adds richness to the track.

      

       With their guitar riffs, lyrical approach & sound like none other, Switchfoot definitely has the markings of being the poets of our time.

 

       Does your Shadow prove the Sonshine?