In 2003, the largely-unknown band Switchfoot crashed onto the scene with their immensely popular album, “The Beautiful Letdown.” Highlighted by Top 40 sensations “Meant To Live” and “Dare You To Move,” the band was catapulted into the national spotlight. As is the case with most bands, Switchfoot was unable to quite replicate the success of “The Beautiful Letdown” with their follow-up album, “Nothing Is Sound.” However, unlike most bands that fail to build on their initial breakout success, the San Diego-based quintet did not fade into obscurity.
On Sept. 27, Switchfoot will release their eighth album in fourteen years, “Vice Verses,” proving the band is still relevant. Additionally, the album is quite possibly the Switchfoot's best release since “The Beautiful Letdown.” In the wake of the band's first taste of success came albums such as “Nothing Is Sound,” “Oh! Gravity,” and 2009's Grammy Award-winning album “Hello Hurricane.” While the band has enjoyed moderate success on the airwaves and garnered praise from critics, “Vice Verses” continues to build on what the group has accomplished in its longstanding career.
The record begins with the distorted sounds of lead singer Jon Foreman's guitar, while he sings the words, “I tasted fire, I'm ready to come alive / I can't just shut it up and fake that I'm alright / I'm ready now, I'm not waiting for the afterlife.” The album continues to build on the opening track's intensity, leading perfectly into the rousing “The Original” and the anthemic “The War Inside.” On the following track, “Restless,” the band again proves its place as kings of the modern rock ballad, with Foreman singing the tender lyrics, “I am restless / I burn like the ocean to find your shore / Lookin' for you.”
Part of what makes “Vice Verses” one of the stronger albums in Switchfoot's catalog is the group's ability to change gears on a dime. As evidenced on nearly every record in the Switchfoot's history, the group's ability to switch it up has been the calling card of the band. Whether it's changing gears from “Adding to the Noise” to the soft-spoken “Twenty Four” on “The Beautiful Letdown” or switching from the mixed meters of “Dirty Second Hands” to the anthemic “Awakening” on 2006's “Oh! Gravity,” lead singer and head songwriter Jon Foreman has never had an issue with adding variety to every release the band makes — with “Vice Verses” no exception to the rule.
However, while it may seem that the quintet's 2011 release is simply par for the course, “Vice Verses” is more than just another notch in the band's belt. Switchfoot has again proven that they are as relevant as ever and remain one of the better rock bands found on the airwaves today. The closing track, “Where I Belong,” serves as the perfect summation of the album and a statement that the band deserves mention as one of the better rock outfits of the past decade, with Foreman reverently repeating the phrase, “Still looking for a home / In a world where I belong.”
If the past 10 years can be considered a benchmark of success for the group, it appears Switchfoot has already found a home where they more than belong.
Reach the reporter at tpaxton@asu.edu
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