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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Switchfoot's Best Since The Beautiful Letdown, November 10, 2009
Switchfoot's 7th album (and 3rd after their mainstream hit record Beautiful Letdown) Hello Hurricane signals a rebirth for the band that in many ways parallels Beautiful Letdown. Like that album, this was their first time recording the album independently without the pressures of a major record contract (they had chosen to part ways with Columbia in 2008 and negotiated their current deal with Atlantic Records only after finishing the album). In fact, it was a challenging 2 years working on the album because they had TOO much freedom, which included tracking over 80 songs and building their own studio in their hometown of San Diego.
However, after this trying journey they rediscovered their sound and their identity, emerging with their best and most well-rounded album since The Beautiful Letdown, which has an excellent blend of what the Switchfoot sound and identity consists of: passionate and hard-hitting rock anthems (eg. Mess of Me, Free, Bullet Soul) to the soulfully mellow ballads (eg. Sing It Out, Your Love is a Song) to the catchy almost pop-rock hits (eg "Hello Hurricane," "Needle and Haystack Life," and "Yet"), all with thought-provoking and soul-searching lyrics. While you may not appreciate every track equally given the variety of styles as described, you won't find a bad track in the album. If you've liked any Switchfoot album in the past, this will definitely quickly become one of your favorites (if not the favorite).
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Track Listing:
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1) Needle and Haystack Life (4.5/5) - A catchy rock tune with U2-reminiscent verses that give way to classic Switchfoot soaring vocals in the chorus. If I had to compare it with a previous Switchfoot song, it reminds me of "Dare You To Move." Lyricly, it discusses the beauty and miracle in human life: "In this needle and haystack life / I found miracles there in your eyes / It's no accident we're here tonight / We are once in a life time."
2) Mess of Me (4/5)- This was their first single and has been receiving steady airplay. This reflects the progression and maturity of Switchfoot as a rock band: it utilizes a heavy electric guitar riff, driving drum beat, and includes a bold bridge. What stands out the most to me is the way that lead singer Jon Foreman injects passion into every syllable, as he sings "I want to spend the rest of my life alive!"
3) Your Love Is a Song (4.5/5) - Self-described as a third in a trilogy of songs ("Let Your Love Be Strong" from Oh! Gravity, and "Your Love is Strong" from Jon Foreman's "Limbs and Branches" EP) as he contemplates the concept of love and grace. This is the first of several slower ballads, which are personally some of my favorite songs on the album. Lyrically and musical, this is a beautiful song: "oh Your love is a symphony / all around me, running through me / oh Your love is a melody, underneath me, running to me."
4) The Sound (John M. Perkins Blues) (4/5) - Another edgy rock track in the vein of "Mess of Me," this consists of strong electric riffs that blend into a melodic pre-chorus which ultimately leads into a punctuated, hard-hitting chorus. While the intensity and borderline shouts in the chorus can be off-setting and harsh at times, it reflects the rawness of emotion that the band experiences as they cry out for the world to be transformed by a movement defined by love.
5) Enough to Let Me Go (4/5) - This is more of a light rock love song with evidences of influence from U2. It is driven by a simple yet beautiful acoustic guitar riff accompanied by a steady beat and the occasional electric guitar ornamentation. It explores the theme of how love actually requires faith and letting go. "Do you love me enough to let me go? / To let me follow through / to let me fall for you?"
6) Free (5/5)- My personal favorite of the harder rock songs, I think it represents the perfect blend of edginess, passion, and melody without becoming overly punctuated (ie some of the shouts/screams in "The Sound" and "Bullet Soul"). Lyrically, Jon Foreman is crying out to be liberated from himself, often using the powerful line "Inside this shell there's a prison cell."
7) Hello Hurricane (4.5/5) - The title-track of the record, this song is a catchy rock hit that could see success on multiple formats (Rock, Alternative, Pop), much like "Needle and Haystack Life." This song discusses the theme of overcoming hardships and tragedies: "hello hurricane, you can't silence my love / I'm a fighter fighting for control."
8) Always (5/5) - Already a hit on inspirational radio stations, this song is a ballad that discusses the timeline of human life, beginning with infancy/entering this world, transitioning to heartbreak/tragedy, and then finishing with restoration/peace that comes with surrendering one's life and doubts. This song reminds me most of "On Fire" from The Beautiful Letdown, which is definitely a great thing.
9) Bullet Soul (3/5) - The last of the harder rock anthems, this was personally my least favorite track on the album, but many listeners could very well rank it among the highest, depending on which end of the musical spectrum (from mellow to heavy) they enjoy most. I personally found some of the "screams" near the edge of the album off-setting. However, like stated previously, I could see many listeners liking this song for the same reasons.
10) Yet (4.5/5) - A steady lighter rock song with a cool, laid-back, yet driving feel. The blend of bass guitar and rhythm (created both synthetic and actual drums) with Jon's soothing voice make this song one of my favorites. Lyrically, this songs poses a very thought-provoking statement when Jon sings: "if it doesn't break your heart, then it isn't love."
11) Sing It Out (5/5) - After a few listens, this song has became my favorite track on the album. Completely in line with the thoughts expressed by the lyrics, the verses really embody a feeling of "lostness," in which there is no clear sense of rhythm and just an underlying pool of noise. Then, the soaring vocals emerge from the depths to cry out "Sing it out, Sing it out / Take what is left of me / and make it a melody." The haunting music penetrated by hopeful vocals reflect the hope that brings comfort during dark times.
12) Red Eyes (4/5)- this song signals an emergence from the now-passed hurricane (described by Jon Foreman at a recent concert), opening with a peaceful and melodic hailing of bells and chimes. Now that darkness has passed, Jon focuses on maintaining a perspective that is focused on not becoming complacent and falling back into the routine of life. Rather, he reminds us to focus on the grander themes of life, such as wonder, forgiveness, and hope. The album closes by giving way to evidences of chaos and some lyrics of the first track, signaling the cyclic nature of hurricanes.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome!, November 16, 2009
Switchfoot's newest album is by far their most mature and just plain awesome album to date.
Musically they have definitely taken a more aggressive turn. While they were always able to rock, this one just seems to hit me in the face a little harder on multiple songs. The lyrics are deep and thought provoking. A lot of honesty comes through in Jon's lyrics and many of them can't help but leave you inspired.
Needle and Haystack Life seems to be a love song about finding the perfect person for you in a world full of people, a "Needle in a Haystack Life". The chorus is full of 16th note drums and soaring vocals.
Mess of Me has a grungy fast sound that you can't help but move to and the bridge with Jon singing/screaming "There ain't no drug to make me well" in unison with his guitar is simply epic. This is my favorite song on this album.
Your Love is a Song reminds me the most of old school Switchfoot but in a great way. Almost like a revamp of a song we might of heard on "New Way to be Human".
The Sound (John M. Perkins Blues) is probably the heaviest song on this album with almost metal sounding guitar riffs and a chorus that is basically Jon Foreman yelling the lyrics.
Enough to Let Me Go slows down a bit with a sobering song about asking someone for their love even in letting them leave and mess up stuff. I am not sure who exactly the song is singing to, but it is somewhat heavy to deal with and it really made me think.
Free is a plea for salvation. Jon sings "Come set me free/ Down on my knees/ I still believe you can save me". The music is epically frantic and fit the lyrics perfectly.
Hello Hurricane is probably my least favorite song on this album, though it is still a decent song. It seems to me to be a dare to life, saying "bring it on, I am ready for whatever you can throw at me". The chorus is catchy and fun to sing.
Always starts out with a beautiful piano introduction. This song is coming from a desperate place. The writer seems to be broken down and crying out to God. It is a moment of redemption and contains the the best lines in the entire album.
Hallelujah!
I'm caving in
Hallelujah!
I'm in love again
Hallelujah!
I'm a wretched man
Hallelujah!
Every breath is a second chance
And it is always yours
And I am always yours
It is hard not to worship when listening to this song.
Bullet Soul starts with a guitar riff that is 100% Switchfoot and sounds much like many of the songs on "The Beautiful Letdown". This song is a loud call to action.
Yet is a beautiful song about perseverance of love. These lines seem to express the purpose of the song beautifully.
Yeah, if it doesn't break your heart it isn't love
Now if it doesn't break your heart it's not enough
It's when you're breaking down with your insides coming out
It's when you find out what your heart is made up of
Sing it Out is probably the best song on this album. The lyrics almost read like a Psalm. It is a cry to God from a bad place. It's a cry for God to "Take what is left of me/ Make it a melody". It starts out very mellow with Jon crying the lyrics loud and desperately. The band comes in towards the end and it ends on a very hopefully.
Red Eyes, the last song on the album is another plea for something greater. It has a hopeful tone and is the perfect end to this album.
The album is a near perfect modern rock album. It contains enough desperation to make the listener realize something is wrong with this world. There is a longing in the lyrics for something greater, but also a hope for what that is. It is a realization that this world isn't perfect and something is wrong, but it also points to the fact that there is a solution. There is a hope and something greater for us.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Switchfoot's long-awaited album goes beyond expectations, November 10, 2009
With the incredible success of Switchfoot's previous mainstream albums "Oh! Gravity and The Beautiful Letdown" and the long gap between the previous and current releases, the expectations for Switchfoot's new album were higher than ever. While Hello Hurricane's sound is distinct from previous albums, it boasts all the elements of a Switchfoot hit, namely catchy songwriting and Jon Foreman's voice.
First Impressions:
Hello Hurricane is distinctly Switchfoot and distinctly different at the same time. The album is post-grunge-ier than anything we've heard so far, and makes far less prominent use of special instruments and synths. That said, those changes don't take away anything from the album. The albums begins with a bang and seems to fade out slowly as it ends; the more mellow songs are most likely ones that slowly grow on you. The entire album has extremely catchy, radio-worthy tunes that will have you singing along by the second or third listen.
Notable Songs:
Switchfoot has crafted an amazing album with songs that you immediately latch onto, though the rest are not far behind.
Needle And Haystack Life
Your Love Is A Song
Enough To Let Me Go
Free
Hello Hurricane
Bullet Soul
Sing it Out
It would be far easier to listen to the songs yourself than to attempt reading a description of the songs beyond that they continue the evolution of Switchfoot's experimentation with different sounds, only this time the progression is further mainstream--and that isn't a bad thing. Switchfoot's Hello Hurricane doesn't disappoint. It has variety of themes and moods throughout the album, much like previous albums, and you will immediately recognize it as a Switchfoot album that you'll enjoy for quite a while.
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