Switchfoot: The Beautiful Letdown
Title: The Beautiful Letdown
Category: Alternative/Rock
Artist/Group: Switchfoot
Rating: 2 / 5
Responses to this review (2)
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He sits staring intently at the almost-blank computer screen. He has no idea what to write. “Who am I to criticize someone else’s heart-filled work? Man, I should have picked the other CD." he says to himself as he flashes back to that fateful Sunday morning.
“Hey Steve, do you want to do a music review for the website?”
“Yeah, okay.”
Music Review Guy reaches into his bag of goodies and pulls out two CDs, a blue one and a red one, and says, “Pick one." Steve looks over the two CDs. The blue one is the newest album from Switchfoot. The red one just says Everyone. He’s at least heard of Switchfoot. “I’ll take the Switchfoot album,” he says, as he wonders what he’s gotten himself into.
Later that day, he takes The Beautiful Letdown out of his bag and pops it into the CD player in his car. He asks his two friends who are in the car what they think about the CD. “This CD kind of sucks” says Friend One. “It’s not that good,” says Friend Two as he ejects the CD and inserts the new Kelly Clarkson CD. Never one to resist any kind of peer pressure, he says, “Yeah, this CD’s not that good.” But is it?
Later that night, he gets a chance to listen to the CD alone. He realizes that he’s never actually heard of Switchfoot before. The one Switchfoot song that he’s heard is the Mandy Moore version of "Only Hope" in A Walk to Remember (which is quite good by the way). As he starts to listen carefully to The Beautiful Letdown, he realizes that this is no Mandy Moore....
Obviously, I am not a big Switchfoot fan. I am not really a Switchfoot anything. If you are and I am offending you, I apologize. I was surprised to find out that The Beautiful Letdown is Switchfoot’s fourth album because it sounds like their first. Throughout the entire CD, the band seems like they’re trying to find their style/sound.
Occasionally, an album comes out that is different in that it attempts to do more than just appease fans of the genre into which it naturally falls. Everyone loves that artist/band that comes out and says, "You can’t tell me how to sound and so I’m going to make each song distinctly my own sound." If that’s what this album is supposed to be, then I applaud the band's effort but not the outcome.
After listening to this album umpteen times, the response I have is, “Huh?” I don’t understand what they’re trying to do musically. I don’t understand what they’re trying to do lyrically. Maybe I’m just underwhelmingly dense, but I don’t think so. I think this album just tries too hard to be different and, in doing so, becomes confused.
The first track, Meant to Live is an edgy rock anthem (sounds like Bush). The second track, "This is Your Life" is a little bit more electronica and adds effects onto the lead singer’s voice (sounds like Puddle of Mudd). On the third track, "More than Fine" it almost sounds like the lead singer is singing with a British accent. On the eighth track, "Gone", the band pays homage to Third Eye Blind. Ironically, Switchfoot actually sounds best while cloning that feel-good happy rock style.
Changing up your sound is not necessarily a bad thing, but when you do too many things, you tend to not do any one of them well and that’s what happens here. They would have been better off having Mandy Moore sing every song because then at least there would have been some continuity in the music.
All that said, the album does have its good points. The lead singer’s voice is smooth and right on. I always tell people that all I ever want in a song is passion and energy. The lead singer does sing with much passion. Many of the songs are very catchy. I even found myself humming "Dare you to Move" in the shower last night. Unfortunately, even the good songs are blemished by random screams (why?) or weird lyrics.
I guess in the end, what all four of you who are still reading this want to know is, "should I buy this album?" No. I don’t think that I would even download any of the songs to listen to while at work. It’s not that the album is that bad. It’s not. It’s just not memorable. None of the songs really make you say, "That’s a good song." Nothing stands out. I give it a 2 out of 5. You’re better off listening to some Caedmon’s Call, Justin McRoberts, or Smalltown Poets. For that matter, you’re better off waiting 'til September and getting the new Mandy Moore CD.
Steve
Park
07.06.03
Responses to this Review:
Oh wow, how musical tastes differ! Switchfoot's latest album, in my view, is nothing short of a masterpiece. The lyrics are beautiful and emotion-filled. The sound, admittedly, differs from song to song - this is nothing new for Switchfoot. But each and every song has a certain edge to it.
The first two tracks, "Meant to Live" and "This is Your Life," along with "Dare You to Move," are big-sounding, repentant tracks on the record. Jon Foreman's unique voice and roaring vocals are maybe heard best on these tracks, where he just lets his voice fly. The singing in these songs is intense, and help to capture the emotion that the songs are trying to show. The vocals also reflect the deep conviction in these songs. I know that many people have been touched by Switchfoot's music, and the intensity is the music, lyrics, and singing found in these tracks show the power the group's song have.
Three more songs on the CD, "Ammunition," "Adding to the Noise," and "Gone," are consistent with Switchfoot's often tongue-in-cheek commentary on society. But far from reaching that "inaccessible" plateau that social commentary songs often hit, these songs relay another Switchfoot peculiarity: the songs are both smart AND entertaining. Just as with every song on the album, it's easy to get caught up and sing along with these songs, after hearing them just a couple of times. On another note, interestingly enough, while your review remarked that "Gone" may be the best song on the album, I think it's often considered the one song that someone snuck it's way on the album, and that, perhaps, didn't deserve to be on there.
"Redemption" is another catchy song with a strong message, as is the title track, "The Beautiful Letdown." The title song has a unique, bassy sound to it, and has quickly become a favorite among Switchfoot fans.
The other two tracks are the slower sounding songs on the album. "On Fire" is another moving song in the collection, and is able to stretch Jon's vocals for what they're worth. "Twenty-Four," the closing song, is at the same time a somber and uplifting song - maybe the most beautiful, lyrically and musically, on the album.
In response, now, to a couple remarks on the review. Switchfoot may sound like it's trying to find it's sound because of the many different styles reflected in "The Beautiful Letdown," but that simply isn't the case. The sounds are purposely different, and I'd argue, successfully different. While the band applies several very styles, all of them sound mature, as if they had done four albums exclusively for each style.
The "screaming" doesn't seem to affect me, nor have I heard anyone else mention that. Perhaps this is because the yelling is actually quite melodic, and really blends well into the songs. If you want to hear screaming that distracts, check out some harder rock groups, like 12 Stones.
So, I'm guessing you'll already know what I would've given the album in a review - 5 out of 5 stars! Switchfoot's best, yet!
Thanks for taking the time,
Chuckie from Egypt
07.08.03
Thank you Mr. Park for your comments on Switchfoot's latest album; however, I have to disagree. I like Switchfoot...I personally think Switchfoot is a pioneer towards a movement of incarnational bands bringing light to a very dark world:
At a recent national singles conference, a young man named David Edwards posed the following question to a popular Christian recording group:
"How do you survive in Christian music when it is the stepchild of the music industry? Christian music all too often shines the light in an already lighted room, like a church building or a Christian music festival. In order for Christian music to become incarnational, it must take its lighted message to the club circuit and to the opening acts of world famous touring bands. Incarnation is God's connecting to the world. It is God making our interests His interests. Who says a Christian artist has to sing only songs that tell about Jesus? Can't their songs support the godly values of light and life?"
I AGREE. The music of today's modern churches often appeal to a crowd that is already tasting God's light. There are many Christian bands and not enough bands of Christians. Switchfoot IS on their way to making a difference...already named a top 100 Billboard artist, having been featured in the Dove awards and the Grammy's, secular late night talk shows, and even MTV, their music is intense and changes lives - lives that take one step closer to experiencing the hope that God brings.
To someone who's never heard Switchfoot (and I can personally testify), their music may sound cacophonous, dissident, and unnerving. But upon a second, closer look, you can see beautifully written words commenting on the beauty and ugliness of life. Beautifully crafted lyrics and different accompanying sounds make each song unique ~ each song is a unique and honest snapshot of a life. Switchfoot's music can't be boxed. It's not consistent; there is no "Switchfoot" sound...no specific genre or style ~ that's the whole purpose!
The band writes:
"The Beautiful Letdown is about real life: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's an honest attempt to reflect on the great and terrible aspects of being human, the tension of existence. Alot of people run away from this tension because the problems in our world are too hard to face. But the tension of being human is where we live and think and breathe. In fact, the very lowest moments in our lives is where we stand toe to toe with the truth about ourselves and our world. The way I see it, hope means nothing at all if hope doesn't reach to the core of our need. The Beautiful Letdown is where meaning and hope invade our greatest and worst moments. The Beautiful Letdown is where we live, who we are, and where the future begins."
When I first heard Switchfoot, I didn't like it. I actually prayed to better understand the message - and BAM, upon listening to it again and looking at the lyrics in front of me, I nearly cried! The album is very different from the previous three cds, but extremely moving. The music challenges us to look beyond the ugliness and depravity of our lives, and look for "something more"...
I can listen to "Beautiful Letdown" for hours in my car, I exercise listening to it, I cook to it...bottomline: it's a great buy! 5 out of 5 stars! I "Dare You to Move" right now and buy it!
P.S. In my opinion, Mandy Moore and Kelly Clarkson are no comparison...they've been blessed with wonderful God given voices and they're so cute, but their lyrics lack depth and leave something to be desired.
Thank you for letting me share my views. Jesus Rocks!
Anonymous
7.10.03
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