Pros: Awesome Sound, Diverse Styles, Smooth Thematic Flow
Cons: Not Earth-Shattering
The Bottom Line: If you're looking to finish off your Switchfoot collection, you should definitely get this! But, if you've never owned one of their albums, start with later work.
zorrothepiking's Full Review: Learning to Breathe by Switchfoot
Switchfoot released Learning to Breathe in 2000, which seems to mark the beginning of their rise to infamy. With a matured sound and one amazing single, the time had come for Switchfoot to really show what they had to offer.
THE BACKGROUND -
Learning to Breathe is sandwiched between the early works (Legend of Chin and New Way to be Human) and the later works (Beautiful Letdown and Nothing is Sound) in both a musical and lyrical sense. The jazz elements of Legend of Chin are far behind them, and the poppy rock of New Way to be Human has evolved into a much more full sound. Although not of the same caliber as their most recent albums, the music in this album really rocks. It also seems like they have a little more fun with this album, with some clever lyrics and quirky riffs.
THE SOUND -
The upbeat crunchy rock that dominated New Way to be Human is still present, but the album is more balanced. It kicks off with their hit single Dare You to Move which, along with Playing for Keeps and You Already Take me There, showcases that Switchfoot Rock we all love. These songs are definitely some of my favorite on the album. The energy is fantastic, the progressions are catchy, and the melodies are awesome!
Poparazzi is one of the quirkiest songs that Switchfoot has ever put out. It's upbeat tempo and unusual tune will leave you wondering where this song came from! It's a blast too listen too, though! The use of dynamics and repetition is cool, and they really crank this one up. The Economy of Mercy is the slowest and most mellow song on the album. The vocals do a great job of keeping this one interesting, though, and I enjoy it a lot.
Switchfoot also slows the rock down in this album. Learning to Breathe, the title track, has a silky sound to it. A lot of bass and undistorted guitar gives this one a different flavor than a lot of their others. Love is a Movement is another drifter. It has an... airy... feel. This one isn't one of my favorites, because it feels a little empty and unseated. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that a lot of the song lacks a low bass sound. During the verse, the bass plays a higher series, leaving you missing that bottom. Another great song is Innocence Again. It has brings in some smooth guitar on the verses and features a slow rock chorus. I'm really impressed how they can maintain the power of a song while keeping the tempo and volume rolled back. There are also some great vocals effects in this song that really help to round it out. Loser has a lot of the classic Switchfoot elements, but it keeps the tempo rolled back and the verses simple. The dynamics in this song in particular and the slower songs in general are really well done, keeping your interest from first note to last. Living is Simple has a very similar sound, and closes out the album nicely.
THE MESSAGE -
The message of this album is the next logical step. In New Way to be Human, Switchfoot describes how we ought be. Now, they're going to walk us though how to get there. Instead of general principles, this album is more practical. It's about making changes and choices. This is especially clear when you read these lines (from Learning to Breathe - the song):
I'm learning to breathe
I'm learning to crawl
I'm finding that You and
You alone can break my fall
I'm living again, awake and alive
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies
This theme of growth is seen throughout the songs.
The hit Dare You to Move talks about taking a chance and taking a stand. Switchfoot doesn't downplay the difficulty of living the right lifestyle, and they dare you to take that step. Similarly, in You Already Take me There, sing that God will be there for you once you take that step. They say:
When I'm a broken hearted man
Complacent and tired
When I've been knocked out of the race
I've been a fool for long enough
To fight it, to fight it
It's in Your arms I find my place
This album talks alot about changing our lives. Love is a Movement says that a bland and static lifestyle is not what we were intended for. Poparazzi mocks pop culture and talks about the double standards we see from our cultural "icons." Playing for Keeps talks about dedication to what is right, and putting your faith in God. Also, Innocence Again reminds us of the way we saw the world in our innocence, and how that innocence can be restored, even though we don't deserve such grace. The Economy of Grace drives this point home.
Losers can be understood by knowing the opening lines:
Only the losers win
they've got nothing to prove
They'll leave the world with nothing to lose
You can laugh at the weirdos now
Wait till wrongs are right
They'll be the ones with nothing to hide
In Erosion, love is represented by rain, that washes away our "vices." To finish up the album, Switchfoot uses the ironically titled Living is Simple. It talks about how everything tends to fall apart and how we can't hold it together without God. It also talks about the amazing simplicity of salvation. It says:
Is this fiction?
Hope has given himself to the world
Is this fiction or divine comedy
Where the last of the last finish first
Living is simple
THE CONCLUSION -
If you've never heard Switchfoot, this would probably not be a good place to start. It's not as unique an album as others, but fits rather as a foundation for their later work. If you already enjoy Switchfoot, though, I expect you'll love this album. I, for one, absolutely love it. Something I didn't mention but you may have noticed if you own the album is that the themes are better grouped here. In previous albums, the messages of songs were rather scattered, but here, back-to-back songs are likely to have very similar or complementary themes. Well done!
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