2008 Woodie Awards
Nothing is sound when you keep switching feet, so turn on the album, and commence dancing
Has anybody seen my Sunday shoes?
Shanice Williams
Issue date: 9/16/05 Section: No Limits
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The San Diego based band Switchfoot with hit songs like "meant to live" and "dare you to move" from their album "The Beautiful Letdown" is back with their fifth album "Nothing Is Sound".
Before I dive into the review I need to make mention of some new band members to enhance the original three: Chad, Jon, and Tim. Back in early 2002 just before the fall release of "The Beautiful Letdown", the band realized the need to fill out their live sound a bit more with the keyboards and samples that they had used so often in their studio recordings. And without much array, Jerome Fontamillas was added to the mix, playing rhythm electric guitar and keys.
Yet again adding to the full live sound, Switchfoot has officially added Drew Shirley to the group playing fulltime lead guitar and occasional rhythm guitar when Jon heads off on his frequent excursions to hang with the crowd or crowd-surf.
As an album "Nothing is Sound" is quite near perfection for this group. I don't say that lightly either, because it takes a good bit to really impress me with creative songwriting and musicianship.
My first impression of the album was that this one has been finely tuned in the recording studio. I haven't heard a CD with this level of production quality in a good while, and with a well tuned subwoofer upgrade this album just radiates with rock clarity. Most of the album's guitars and some vocals were recorded live on the road in dressing rooms and closets all over the country. John Fields returns as producer (worked with The Beautiful Letdown) and even traveled with these guys on the road for a few shows to help give musical guidance to all the recording that was done.
Overall, this album is deep on many levels. Lyrically, Jon has embodied some serious thought material in this album, and if you dig deeper there are even more hidden benedictions to ponder.
Musically, there are many added layers of vocals or instrumentation or effects that simply add to the overall effect, and rarely is there a minute when you feel the album has run seriously off course or lost its touch. Hands down, a great job by the production staff and the band.
Lonely Nation is a catchy rock intro that leads to a very catchy and sing able chorus "Singing without tongues, Screaming without lungs, one more than the lonely nation, Desperate we are young, separate we are one, one more than the desperation, one more than the lonely nation."