Moving on somewhat from the epic and sincere post-grunge of their last two hit albums, 2003's Beautiful Letdown and 2005's Nothing Is Sound, California Christian-emo rockers Switchfoot deliver a lively and laid-back effort with 2006's Oh! Gravity. Perhaps influenced by the post-punk of such contemporaries as Franz Ferdinand and Futureheads, Switchfoot smartly keep things stripped down and to the point this time. To these ends, the title track and leadoff single "Oh! Gravity" is a poppy blast of '80s new wave. Similarly engaging, the punchy and playful Mott the Hoople-esque anthem "Amateur Lovers" is a truly inspired creative turn for lead singer/guitarist Jonathan Foreman and his cohorts. But lest longtime fans fear the band have completely changed their sound, don't worry, as tracks such as the blissful mid-tempo ballad "Awakening" and the driving rocker "Head over Heels (In This Life)" retain the band's knack for mixing heartfelt lyrics with catchy melodies that tug at your soul. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide
Perhaps less accessible than "The Beautiful Letdown", but it is Switchfoot's best album when taken as a whole. "Dirty Second Hands" hints at some of the creativity that Jon unveils more fully in his solo EPs and "Fiction Family". "Awakening" tosses a bone to the longtime fan and is a fitting heir to "Dare You to Move" as the band's banner song.
This album played in my car for months before I could bring myself to listen to anything else while I was driving. I love that this doesn't sound exactly like their previous records - they keep growing and evolving in their music and their lyrics, and I love it.
Oh! Gravity is an album that wins you over on the second or third listening. If you're used to the "Switchfoot sound" from the earlier albums certain tracks (American Dream, Faust, Amateur Lovers) can be a bit jaring... but this holds together as a really brilliant concept album and is actually better as a whole than any single track indicates. As much as I liked the earlier albums, another similar effort would have been a dissappointment - this is their best so far.
Labeling Switchfoot as "Christian-emo rockers" is inaccurate. They have Christian influences but have stuck with alternate from the beginning. And please justify calling them "emo". That is, again, false. If by "emo" you mean thought-provoking lyrics that don't glorify promiscuity, drugs, and violence then you'd be correct.