By: James Southworth
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Switchfoot is possibly one of the most consistent bands in terms of their ability to appeal to both Christian and secular audiences. Their albums are written in such a way that both sides of the coin can get something to love out of them, which is probably why the band continues to be universally loved. Jon Foreman has been able to craft lyrics that have powerful truths to them that many people can latch on to. For the most part, Switchfoot's albums haven't ever felt particularly watered down even though the writing does have a wide reach. I've at least generally enjoyed most of the band's albums, with the exceptions of "Fading West" and "Oh! Gravity". Many of the band's albums I love, particularly "Nothing Is Sound" and "Vice Verses". Switchfoot announced only two years ago they were going on a "hiatus". Apparently that term doesn't hold much water anymore, because two-three years is a very normal length to wait between album cycles. But I'm still not gonna complain when a new album from this band is announced. Unfortunately, while not horrible by any means, "Native Tongue" still feels very middle of the road and safe- especially for a band who has typically done well at experimenting while staying true to their central sound.
It's hard for me to say I was incredibly impressed by a significant amount of songs on this album, but I also can't say that there were a lot of songs that I passionately disliked (with two significant exceptions). The opening track "Let It Happen" is easily one of the best on the album, and one of the only songs that has really stayed with me on repeat listens of the album. It sees the more rocking side of the band (which unfortunately we don't see too often on this release), and that's a side of this band I always like to experience. The song has a nice pounding guitar riff in the verses, and Jon sounds excellent vocally in the second verse in particular. The chorus of this song is simplistic in structure, but I think it works in its simplicity. It serves as a sort of desperately hopeful cry for the album, begging for a sense of love and unity to come to fruition in a divided world. Switchfoot has always been band with a lot of optimism, and they've always done a good job of not letting that positivity come across as excessively idealistic. I also really do like the lead single/title track. This song does remind me of Imagine Dragons when they were actually good. I like the driving drum beat that makes this song feel very fun to sing along with. The chorus of the song is one of the most catchy on the album. This song feels like a logical progression for Switchfoot, as it updates their sound for the more electronic dominated musical landscape. But it still keeps a lot of their central sound in tact, so the song still has a sound that is distinctly Switchfoot. My favorite part of this song actually comes in the outro, which has a darker musical atmosphere and some of the best lyrics on this release as a whole: "I want the world to sing in her native tongue/To sing it like when we were young/Back before the pendulum had swung to the shadows/I want the world to sing in her native tongue/Maybe we could learn to sing along". This lyrical moment effectively encompasses the main themes of the album: that the world needs to go back to a sense of real love instead of embracing the darkness. It may not be the most profound way to present this message, but I think the usage of metaphor and visual imagery bring this theme across in a way that really works. "Dig New Streams" sees the band going in a sort of off-kilter sound that reminds me of some of the better moments of "Oh! Gravity". This cut is definitely a weird cut that took me a few times to get used to, but once I started liking it, I really appreciated it. The loud, grungy guitar work stands out as a unique moment in an album that doesn't have a whole lot of "wow" factor.
The best song on the album comes in "Prodigal Soul", which has Jon Foreman's best vocal performance on the album, and maybe one of my favorite performances from him in general. Using the Biblical story of the prodigal son as a personal narrative for one's own life isn't a new topic by any means, but it all comes down to the powerful presentation. The reason this song works is because of the emotional gravitas it has throughout, with the acoustic guitar doing a great job at accentuating the power in Jon's vocals. I love the final time the chorus is repeated in this track, as Jon's vocals swell to new heights. The lyrics are simple and beautiful, which is exactly what this song needed: "I'm a prodigal soul/And I want to come home/I can't make it alone/Won't you bring me home?". This song is a classic Switchfoot ballad in every since of the word. I can see people loving it just as much as cuts like "Your Love is a Song" and "Restless". Unfortunately after this song, there aren't too many tracks that really stuck out to me, but there are still some decent cuts. "The Hardest Art" sees the band really going full on into an electronic sound, and it works pretty well. I think that featured vocalist Kaela Sinclair is probably the standout factor that makes this song work. I also feel like there's a real sense of sincerity in the prayerful cut "The Strength to Let Go". While the song isn't necessarily anything to write home about, I still did like the sentiments the song was expressing.
As you can tell, with the exception of a couple of songs here, there wasn't really a whole lot I could say with a lot of enthusiasm about the positive parts of the album. That's a real shame to me, because three years ago the band released "Where The Light Shines Through", which I felt was a real return to form after the mainly underwhelming "Fading West". This album unfortunately is front loaded with some of the weakest material that the band has released. "All I Need" is one of the most generic CCM tracks I've ever heard. I can't believe that I complained about "Live It Well" from the band's last album. While it's still not one of my favorites from the least album, at least that track had a sense of urgency to it in the chorus. This song is just really boring, and feels very by the numbers. The song really tries to force its message with comfortable buzzwords in the chorus. From the first time I heard this song, it was eye roll worthy. But the worst song on the album, and probably one of my least favorite songs from Switchfoot in general, is "Voices". This track is just disastrous, as Jon tries his hardest to copy twenty one pilots by doing a sing-rap vocal style. It does not work, and it makes this song sound like it's awkwardly attempting to appeal to a younger audience. The song is also incredibly repetitive, saying the title of the song way too much. The electronic effects are obnoxious, and the drumming is dull. Most of the other weak songs here aren't as cringe inducing as "All I Need" and "Voices", but that doesn't make them good. Cuts like "Joy Invincible", "Wonderful Feeling", "Take My Fire", and "Oxygen" all feel like they have potential, but they don't ever fully deliver on it. "We're Gonna Be Alright" is pretty annoying and cheesy; thankfully, the song is relatively short. "You're The One I Want" is a very disappointing closer from a band who is known for ending off most of their releases on incredibly epic notes. This song is only 2 minutes, and cannot possibly compare to a closer like "Where I Belong" or "Red Eyes".
Like I said in the beginning of my review, this album is very middling in terms of its quality. There are some genuinely great songs on here. But there are also tracks that just come across as forgettable, and a couple that are pretty bad. I can't say that I'm too offended by anything on this album. There are several songs on here I can see myself coming back to, and there are many others that I won't be visiting any time soon. In terms of Switchfoot's discography as a whole, "Native Tongue" is definitely one of their weakest releases. I wouldn't say it's quite as underwhelming as "Fading West", but it may actually be a little weaker than "Oh! Gravity". If you are a loyal Switchfoot fan, then I would say to give this album a try, as fans do seem to be pretty divided in terms of how they feel on this album. For me, at least, this release is just a bit disappointing because of the quality I've come to expect from these veteran rockers. I'll come back to the tracks I really like, but probably not much else.
Favorite Songs: "Prodigal Soul", "Native Tongue", "Let It Happen", "Dig New Streams", "The Hardest Art"
Least Favorite Songs: "Voices", "All I Need", "We're Gonna Be Alright", "You're The One I Want"
No comments:
Post a Comment