Switchfoot - Where the Light Shines Through (7.8.16) Album • Page 4

After first listen, this album is lower-tier Switchfoot (it's at a #7 or #8), but I'm pretty positive it will grow on me considerably to maybe #5. So with that in mind...

1. The Beautiful Letdown
2. Nothing is Sound
3. Hello Hurricane
4. Vice Verses
5. Where the Light Shines Through (???)
6. New Way to Be Human
7. Fading West
8. Oh! Gravity.
9. The Legend of Chin
10. Learning to Breathe

Learning to Breathe is the only SF album where the majority of songs fall flat for me and I don't even know why. Listened to TBL and NiS back to back yesterday and man both albums compliment each other so well. Absolute masterpieces in my book.

 

Definitely picking up major NWTBH vibes all over this one which is really cool.

I Wont Let You Go is gonna make it into top Switchfoot songs for me I think. And Holy Water is a great opener.

 

I've only really listened to this a couple times due to Emarosa coming out same day as it (top 5 album of the year for me so far, recommend it if you like Anberlin's Tooth & Nail releases) , but I do think WTLST is pretty good. I don't really like Bull In a China Shop, Looking for America or Healer of Souls that much though. Holy Water, I Won't Let You Go and If the House Burns down are pretty top tier Switchfoot though.

 

This album is pretty bad. Second half is stronger than the first, but only in comparison.

Only album this might beat is FW.

 

This thread has motivated me to listen to some Switchfoot albums again. I have TBL, Oh! Gravity and HH, but it's been so long since I last heard them. I just finished listening to WTLST and I enjoyed about half of it. Healer of Souls reminds me of Bullet Soul.

Now I'm on to TBL and man this still sounds refreshing. I forgot how amazing More Than Fine is.

 

After a few listens this is definitely lower-tier Switchfoot for me. I just haven't liked the direction these guys have been heading in lately at all.

 

Holy Water is great and that's about it.

 

They've totally lost me since "Vice Verses"

 

Repeat listens get better and better with this album. I pretty much stand by where I predicted it would fall in my rankings, although I may like this better than Vice Verses. Not sure yet.

Edit: The diversity and experimentation on this album kind of reminds me of what Anberlin did with Lowborn. Except it's not successful on every level like Lowborn was for me. Still having trouble getting behind "Looking For America".

 

I haven't listened to this yet. I listened to the three records that people recommended a whole back, and Fading West was the only one I kinda liked -- couldn't get into the other two whatsoever. So maybe this band isn't for me, but I'll still check out the new album soon.

 

Were The Beautiful Letdown and Nothing is Sound the other two you checked out?

 

The Beautiful Letdown and Hello Hurricane

 

Well I can't help you if you don't like TBL. ;) But I'd still check Nothing Is Sound out. Most people I personally know hold it as their best record and it's a bit dark by Switchfoot's standards.

 

Hmm okay I'll check that one out

 

Honestly, Switchfoot didn't really change all that much between albums until Fading West, so chances are if you didn't like Beautiful Letdown or Hello Hurricane, you won't like anything before, after or in between. Not the most experimental of bands.

 

Kinda what I figured, I'll still give Nothing Is Sound a listen though.

 

Yeah. Who knows, maybe you'll like that one. The band has been kinda one note a lot of their career, but I still think they have better and worse releases. My personal favorite being Oh! Gravity and Hello Hurricane.

 

You didn't like Hello Hurricane? That's pretty surprising.

 

Nah, probably the one I liked least of the three.

 

Like every Switchfoot record since Sound, this album has some very good songs and some very bad songs.

 

I've come to the conclusion that this is pretty good. The first half is stellar. Then it kind of falls apart a little bit. As always, they struggle to make a consistently strong record. But the good songs are great. I'd probably put it about the same level as Vice Verses.

 

I keep trying to start it and I just can't get through it.

 

I've been checking out this band for the first time, having only been familiar with their few singles from The Beautiful Letdown and Nothing Is Sound. Over the past few days, I listened to all of their records from TBL through WTLST, and I think Fading West stood out the most on first listen. Reading through this thread, that doesn't seem to be a popular opinion haha.

Does anyone else get heavy Third Eye Blind vibes from this new record? I had it on while working today and kept thinking I was listening to a new 3EB record. The production on Jon's voice and some of his vocal techniques make him sound exactly like Stephan Jenkins on some of these songs. I didn't make the comparison with any of the previous albums, but it's really striking to me on this one.

 

I really dig Fading West personally. Probably top 3 for me of theirs.

 

I definitely get a Third Eye Blind vibe from "If the House Burns Down Tonight," now that you mention it. Maybe that's why that's my favorite song on the record.