Wednesday, April 13, 2011

SWITCHFOOT VERSUS THE HURRICANE

     HELLO HURRICANE (2009, lowercase people records) won SWITCHFOOT a Grammy Award this year for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album.  I'm recommending this one to fans of other guitar based rock acts such as Foo Fighters, The Tea Party, Third Day, and Sam Roberts. 
     Several of the songs are about life as a spiritual journey.  'Enough to Let me Go' boldly addresses God: "Do you love me enough to let me go?/To let me follow through/To let me fall for You."  'Mess of Me' is a driving, pulsating song about the struggle a Christian has with their flesh: "The sickness is myself/I've made a mess of me/I want to get back the rest of me/I've made a mess of me/I want to spend the rest of my life alive."  'Free' is about a person who is in trouble but believes in God's power: "I've got my back against the wall/But I still hear the blue sky call/The chains that hold me back inside/Are the prisons of my mind/Free/Come set me free/Down on my knees/I still believe/You can save me from me."  'Sing it Out' is a quiet ballad, nicely orchestrated: "My world is a lie that's come true/And I fall in love with the ones that run me through/When all along all I need is You."  'Red Eyes' is an open invitation for the prodigal to return home to God: "Every now and then I see you dreaming/Every now and then I see you cry/Every now and then I see you reaching/Reaching for the other side/What are you waiting for?"
     Love is a common theme on the album.  'Your Love is a Song' is a ballad with these poetic lines about God's love: "Your love is a symphony/All around me/Running through me/Your love is a melody/Underneath me/Running to me." 'The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)' has a passionate shouted vocal and is an anthem to love and it's relevance in our broken world.  'Hello Hurricane' is more pop oriented (think Newsboys or U2) and is a tribute to the prevailing power of love amidst hard times.  On 'Bullet Soul', lead singer Jon Foreman gets his scream on: "Love is the one true innovation/Love is the only art/Don't let 'em blow it apart."
     'Needle and Haystack Life', the album's opener, reminds us that we are here on this earth with a purpose: "The highs and lows/We call it living/In this needle and haystack life/I've found miracles there in your eyes/It's no accident we're here tonight/We are once in a lifetime."  'Yet' is a ballad about relationship troubles: "It's when you're breaking down/With your insides coming out/That's when you find out what your heart is made of/And you haven't lost me yet."
     HELLO HURRICANE is a highly relatable solid rock record.  I'm giving it a 90%.