Something old, something new

Switchfoot has produced seven albums in 10 years, and I was starting to think the band’s sound was getting stale.

Well, I was wrong. Switchfoot delivers with the new album “Hello Hurricane” because of a diversity in songs that still pull the album together as a whole.

In the past, Switchfoot has achieved greatness seemingly without too much effort, but “Hurricane” feels a little different. “Needle and a Haystack life” is my personal favorite, and an energetic start to the album. It ties the older Switchfoot sound with the new. 

The title track “Hello Hurricane” is one of the album’s lesser efforts, but does bring a heavy personal message the other songs do not have – the fight against the storm and the struggle to hold on. However, songs like “Free” and “Bullet Soul” don’t seem to have any solid message and are actually a little whiny.

Though past releases felt effortless, the slight change in sound makes “Hurricane” one of Switchfoot’s best.