One of the nice things about Christian music is the way that many Christian artists can have such a positive impact on your spiritual life. A lot of my records have influenced my walk with Christ for the better. No band has had such a profound positive influence on my spiritual life, however, as three-piece pop rock band Switchfoot.
Switchfoot's sophomore album, New Way to Be Human, had a recurrent theme of our need for grace and our incompleteness without God. After one realizes his or her need for the Lord and turns their life over to Him, the process of learning to live in the atmosphere of God's grace begins. That is a recurrent theme in Learning to Breathe- movement away from spiritual complacency.
Lyrically, Learning... is an extremely well-crafted album. Jon Foreman's honest, thoughtful lyrics are universal, and everyone can easily relate to him, especially on transparent songs such as the anthemic "I Dare You to Move" and the catchy "Innocence Again". Other themes present on this album include the effect of pop culture on us ("Poparazzi") and breaking up with a girlfriend or boyfriend ("Playing for Keeps").
Instrumentally, this is hands down the most inventive album I have heard in quite some time. Jon Foreman's award-winning guitar skills, along with some killer bass lines from brother Tim and wonderfully offbeat percussion from Chad Butler combine to make a memorable, unique musical experience. From the funky guitar effects on the title track to the amazing bass line running through "Love is the Movement" to the fun oldies beat of "Poparazzi", this album never gets old.
It's hard to find any flaws in this superb pop rock album. Everything from the vocals to the album artwork is very well done and very widely appealing. The bottom line is that all three Switchfoot members are amazing musicians, Jon Foreman is one of the best songwriters out there, and Learning to Breathe is a must-have for any rock fan.
Josh's Score: 5/5
Mark's Score: 4/5
Nathan's Score: 4.5/5
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Steve StockmanWhen Switchfoot appeared on Charlie Peacock's Re:Think label in 1997 they were all Californian surf and sun. They were good looking boys playing poppy songs and though there were a few hints of potential it all seemed a little too early -- apart from those 16 year old girls! New Ways to Be Human two years later was a much meatier proposition in both the sound and the lyrical insight. Learning to…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by James StewartWith Charlie Peacock once again at the production helm, Switchfoot's third album continues in the intelligent power pop direction of its predecessor. It's a catchy album with plenty of energy, but doesn't seem to quite capture the potential which their debut promised. Switchfoot's Jonathan Foreman has always had a good turn of phrase at his disposal and this album shows him continuing to apply…ReAL Magazine 2000Reviewed by Dean M.The third album by this California trio should be enough to raise Switchfoot's status to one of Christian music's elite rock bands. Like the two previous albums, Learning to Breathe combines driving rock with gentle ballads--the difference is the experience. The trio of Jon and Tim Foreman, along with drummer Chad Butler, has matured musically since it's last album. The group has added a more…Bandoppler 2000Reviewed by Sucré MusiqueThe music industry creates buzz words, genres, and classifications for artists and bands more often than not. Sometimes we are all guilty of wanting to tuck our favorite bands into the neat little categories we have invented. Considering the many bands that have clung to the label "modern rock," few bands in the Christian market can really truthfully claim it. And while it is an injustice to…Similar sounding releases
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