When 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 Breathe continues the band's development and without doubt should be one of CCM's stronger releases in 2000. Maybe the opening seconds of "Poparazzi," a humor tinged depth charge on the influence of modern culture, gives a strong clue to what this album is all about. The deftest sweet little bass lick mingles with a crunching clanging guitar. Learning to Breathe is sweet and rocking intermittently. It sits in the connection point of the Venn diagrams that are pop and rock and it sits there very comfortably indeed. Radiohead may have influenced here but only in spirit and the technological trickery. This is much more accessible. As adventurous of heart but not exploring as far away in musical terms.
Spiritually the album centers on twenty somethings trying to make sense of all around them in both a horizontal and vertical sense. They look up and around and there is a healthy dollop of reality but a daring vision of what God can add and take away from such a world to make it a healthier place for our souls -- and eras too:
In the economy of mercy
I am a poor and begging man
In the currency of grace
Is where my song begins
In the colors of your goodness
In the scars that mark your skin
In the currency of grace
Is where my song begins.
(The Economy of Mercy)
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Rebel Base 2001Reviewed by Josh HurstOne 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…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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1999New Way To Be Human
2004Live in San Diego (Video)
1997The Legend of Chin
2003The Beautiful Letdown
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