With 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 that, whether in the title track which picks up the ideas of fully realized humanity which were so evident in the lyrics to New Way To Be Human to the tongue-in-cheek salute to pop culture that is Poparazzi.
And with the other elements of catchy hooks and interesting textures it would seem that Switchfoot have all the pieces of the pop puzzle in place. Sadly this album doesn't have either the laid back openness of New Way To Be Human or the jazzy undertones of The Legend of Chin. It's a strong and fairly well produced pop album which rises above many of the weak releases which pass for guitar pop in the CCM industry, but it isn't the creative tour de force which Switchfoot occasionally hint that they're capable of.
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 Steve StockmanWhen 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…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
1999Foo FightersThere Is Nothing Left to Lose
2003ZwanMary Star of the Sea
2002CadetThe Observatory
2003Brave Saint SaturnThe Light of Things Hoped For
1998Pearl JamYield
2004RushFeedbackMore from Switchfoot
1999New Way To Be Human
2004Live in San Diego (Video)
1997The Legend of Chin
2003The Beautiful Letdown
2005Nothing Is Sound
