Oh! Gravity

Disclaimer: This is not an album review.

I’m currently listening to Switchfoot, one of my fave alternative bands. Their latest album Oh! Gravity released December 2006 has been filling my room with music for the past weeks. The first time I heard this album, I thought, “Man, they still rock!” I was expecting them to mellow down a bit, but I was wrong.

Like their previous albums, this one brings a different atmosphere too — unusually rough on some songs though mixed with few mellow tracks. Over all, the album is too loud for my acoustic-inclined ears or maybe it’s just me getting old. heh. I remember that sniping radio station ad, “If it’s too loud, you’re too old!” Old or not, that’s just me. But hey, I didn’t say I don’t like this album. I do love it. It showcases another chapter in Switchfoot’s career. These guys have been around the music scene for a long time now and I’ve grown to love their music which evolved from the raw garage-sounding years of 1997-2000 with their first three albums Legend of Chin, New Way to be Human and Learning to Breathe to the more solid production of their recent albums The Beautiful Letdown and Nothing is Sound.

I just notice though that Jon Foreman’s voice this time sounded a bit…uhmmmm… older? Hehehe… sorry Jon! I just thought about that while listening to “Yesterdays.” But I do love the versatility and expressiveness of his voice. “Oh! Gravity,” the opening song, is downright infectious and could easily put you in the groove. Same with other fast ones “Burn Out Bright,” “American Dream” and “Amateur Lovers” (I just love the bass on this one). My personal faves are “Circles” and “Head over heels (In this life)” which I keep playing over and over again. “Awakening” IMO is reminiscent of their song “Tonight” from their previous album. I absolutely love the part where Jon sings, “I wanna wake up kicking and screaming…” That’s what I wanted too, being fully alive every single day. Generally, the album’s lyrics reflect the band’s views on the evils of materialism and the impermanence of life:

“If we've only got one try
If we've only got one life
If time was never on our side
Then before I die
I want to burn out bright.”