I've developed a taste for crow lately.
Switchfoot was the band I loved to hate in the transitional period between the 20th and 21st centuries. I couldn't stand classmates that actually enjoyed top-40 adult pop-rock.
Matchbox 20, Goo-Goo Dolls and other asininely-named bands frustrated me to no end.
I always rationalized that my opinion didn't really matter, as these bands likely laughed their way to the bank after selling a ton of records.
When I got my hands on the new Switchfoot album, I immediately started brainstorming clever ways of annihilating it.
Unfortunately for me, the album "Oh! Gravity." turned out to be pretty good. I didn't really expect it to blow my mind lyrically or musically, and it really didn't in the end.
But it is what it is, and it is a solid collection of 12 pop-rock songs.
Switchfoot succeeds mainly because they stick to a perfected formula. Lyrically and musically, they are inoffensive in every sense of the word.
They are the rock Muzak, and I don't intend to be cute by the comparison. Their music does fade into the background for me, but I think it makes listeners feel comfortable with its non-distracting volume level.
There are three songs that stand out on "Oh! Gravity." The song "Awakening" has a semi-psychedelic opening that evolves into a pop-rock song with a nice melody. There's really no hurry to check out this song, as you will likely hear it about 10,000 times on the radio in the next three years.
I applaud the pretentious title of "Faust, Midas, and Myself," as well as the song that goes with it. It has a lazy guitar opening, but it quickly picks up into an interesting song about finding purpose in life. This song and others on this album really address finding purpose and meaning that actually feels like it came from an adult and not an obnoxious teenager disillusioned by angst and lack of life experience.
"Yesterdays" is the third and final gem. It has an airy '80s feel, but it has a good beat and melody that feels and sounds very similar to the sound of U2 or The Fray.
When it comes to writing reviews, I have the occasional tendency to enjoy the things I grade poorly and forget about the things I praise. The worry I have is this album will end up in my personal pile of column contradictions.
But with that said, I think I like Switchfoot's new album.
Or not.
Maybe.
For now.
Grade: B
jkerfeld@unews.com
