Where the light shines through - Switchfoot
Where the light shines through - Switchfoot
13 May 2017
Californian alternative rock band Switchfoot releases their 10th album which is marked by their signature sound but hasn't lost its lustre.
For any musical artist, there is a real challenge inherent in longevity. Each time you release an album, it needs to have a similar sound and feel to what has come before so that it doesn’t alienate the artists’ existing fan base, but not so similar that the new is just a rehash of the old.
Music is littered with artists who strayed from their original sound or style and got dropped, and of bands that had just one good album in them, and every subsequent offering was just stale.
Where the Light Shines Through is the tenth album from Californian alternative rock band Switchfoot. But here is a band who continues to churn out great, fresh songs that are still very much in their signature style. The opening track, Holy Water, carries familiar aggressive guitar work.
It’s followed by Float which is trademark radio-friendly, the title track When The Light Shines Through has a catchy chorus in a lighter California sound vein, and then the ballad I Won’t Let You Go, which is in the mould of British rock band Coldplay. Frontman Jon Foreman has a wonderful vocal range, displayed beautifully in this song.
Other highlights are Live It Well and If The House Burns Down Tonight which produced in me some involuntary head nodding.
The track Looking For America features light rap from American hip hop artist Lecrae and is something of a step in a new direction, and the track The Day That I Found God is certainly the most overtly Christian lyric from song writing brothers John and Tim Foreman to date.
This is not an album full of worship songs – being a ‘Christian’ band has never been Switchfoot’s intention. But there is plenty in the lyrics to inspire and encourage us on our faith journey as the band wrestles with their own brokenness and faith in God.
Lines like “the wound is where the light shines through”, “hold the old me down, give me waters that could help me heal” and “your hope is the anthem of my soul” all remind us of the goodness and grace of God.
Where the Light Shines Through is a well-balanced pop/rock album of lyrical depth, great harmonies, catchy choruses and instrumental excellence. Very Switchfoot-ish, really.
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