With Hello Hurricane, Switchfoot officially become major label refugees and their fans are the better off for it. Any fan that has been with Switchfoot from the beginning is privy to the fact that they made their best music before their time in the commercial spotlight. Oh Gravity! Was enough to recapture us old timers attention though and Hello Hurricane cements the fact that Switchfoot has officially let lose and begun to live up to the potential anyone who has seen them live knew they had.
I can see how some fans may be rubbed the wrong way by Hello Hurricane at first. It certainly is a bit “out there” as compared to the majority of Switchfoot albums. A lot of fans didn’t like Oh! Gravity for the same reason, although it should be noted that this album is a little more reserved than Oh! Gravity. Switchfoot lets their inner rock child hang loose once again on songs like the opening duo of “Needle and Haystack Life” and “Mess of Me,” as well as the anthemic “The Sound,” the title track, and the down and dirty “Bullet Soul.” While they all rock, they are also a little more hook heavy than the rockers on the last album as well, which will likely fare better with the listener who likes the radio-friendly songs above all else. Switchfoot also let their contemplative side grow a bit here. The near ambient “Sing It Out” is haunting and beautiful all at once and the mid-tempo “Your Love is a Song” is bound for big things.
While I know many fans who dislike the direction that Switchfoot went a few years ago and are obviously continuing in, the fact is that this band has never been more exciting. It’s like they have had some kind of awakening and you can hear it in their songs. With Hello Hurricane Switchfoot prove once and for all that they belong where they are. This is a must have release.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
