Oh! Gravity. by Switchfoot

Oh! Gravity. is Switchfoot's 2006 album, looser and scrappier than the heavy record before it. The band lets in more colour and play while still kicking against everything that drags the spirit down. I came back to it for its restless energy, the sound of a band refusing to settle.

Why listen?

The sound is angular and lively, guitars sharp and the arrangements full of surprise. The production is rougher and more playful than its predecessor, which suits the mood. The lyrics push against greed, apathy, and the pull of the ordinary, reaching for something higher. There is a buoyancy here even in the protest, hope worn lightly. It is rock that wants to lift off.

Favourite song: Awakening

The brightest, most hopeful song on the record, a call to come alive rather than sleepwalk through life. It bursts with momentum.

Here we are now with the falling sky and the rain
We're awakening
Here we are now with the desperate youth and the pain
We're awakening
I wanna wake up kicking and screaming
I wanna know that my heart's still beating

The way the chorus surges makes the longing for a fuller life feel urgent and contagious. It reminds me of the jolt of an early alpine start, cold and reluctant, then suddenly glad to be awake and moving. The song refuses a half-lived life, and that has stayed with me.

Key takeaway

Oh! Gravity. is a restless, playful record about reaching higher than the everyday. A bright, energetic listen.

Tracklist

• Oh! Gravity.
• American Dream
• Dirty Second Hands
• Awakening
• Circles
• Amateur Lovers
• Faust, Midas, and Myself
• Head Over Heels (In This Life)
• Yesterdays
• Burn Out Bright
• 4:12
• Let Your Love Be Strong

Details

Listen on

• Apple Music
• Amazon
• Spotify

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