Music Review: Switchfoot - Vice Verses - Page 3

“The Blinding Light” expresses the search for something higher than crude naturalism. You have value. Girls are more than just sex objects. Be yourself. We need each other. Musically, the song reflects the lyrical themes very well. High-gain distorted guitar and bass contrast with tremolo and ethereal piano notes. Background vocals accompany a wonderful chorus that elevates the soul.

Selling the News is a social commentary song, like so many of Switchfoot’s—“Ammunition,” “Gone,” “Adding to the Noise,” “Easier Than Love,” “American Dream,” and “Amateur Lovers,” among others.

In “Selling the News,” the verses are spoken more than sung. “Rant” may be too strong of a word, but Jon Foreman condemns an untrustworthy media and the naturalistic materialism of entertainment-crazed America.

My favorite line in the song is “When nothing is sacred, there’s nothing to lose.” This isn’t the first track that you’ll listen to when you play the album in your car, but it’s a good thinking song.

“Thrive” focuses on internal conflict. Foreman bemoans his own frailty and self-isolation. “I want to thrive, not just survive.” Haunting background vocals and piano, accompanied by a soft drumbeat, underscore the introspective atmosphere created by the lyrics.

“Dark Horses” is simply a cool song. High-gain, palm-muted power chords open up this driving single. If you like “Meant to Live,” “Oh! Gravity,” or “Mess of Me,” then you should enjoy “Dark Horses.” It’s no wonder that ESPN chose this song to open the Oklahoma/Florida State game. We have problems, we get knocked down, and we rise up again. Don’t count us out.

I’m not sure where “Dark Horses” fits with the over-arching themes of Vice Verses, but I’m not complaining. It’s an excellent addition to the album. You will, undoubtedly, listen to this one a lot.

“Souvenirs” is a personal favorite of mine. It was the first song on the album to get me teary-eyed because it focuses on memory, mortality, and loved ones. It starts as a beautiful ballad about youth, when “life was just happening,” and then the music swells to epic proportions as Foreman declares that “nothing lasts forever.”

Keep a box of tissues handy as you listen to the perfect, haunting vocals. This song is sublime.

“Rise Above It” should be a great song in concert. I can envision audiences clapping and swaying to the catchy beat of the verses. The theme seems to be rising above the mundane and the empty in life. So turn it up loud and Rise Above It!

Article Author: SteventheThorn

Steven Thorn was born in Virginia, U.S.A. He and his brother were homeschooled through high school by their mother, a former public school teacher in California and Florida.

Steven studied Professional Writing and Classics at the University of Oklahoma, his dad's alma mater. …

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