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Christian/Gospel Music News, Reviews & Interviews
| Foreman, Jon |
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Those of you who loved Switchfoot's massive hit rock singles, “Dare You To Move” and “Meant To Live,” would be in for a surprise if you listened to the band's frontman, Jon Foreman, on his new solo EP, Fall. The first in a series of four planned “seasonal” EPs, Fall allows the rock star and avid San Diego surfer, to try a different sound-- rootsy Americana-- and see if fans like it. If you like intimate, meandering ballads that seem tailor made for an overcast autumn day, you will love this release, with songs like “Lord Save Me From Me” and “Southbound Train” chugging along quite nicely.On the new material, Foreman sounds like a John Mayer contemporary, or, for those of you over 35, James Taylor with a nod to Johnny Cash for a new generation. From the muffled, melancholic piano of “My Love Goes Free,” which sounds like it was recorded in a living room, to the simple guitar chord progressions of “The Cure For Pain,” these easy-going songs would fit coffeehouses perfectly. Indeed, all the songs on the Fall EP are the kind young aspiring singer-songwriters will learn and perform in small town coffeehouses across the nation. While Foreman enjoys life as a solo artist in the months to come, his popular band, Switchfoot, is still together and working on new material. They're excited at the prospect of having the artistic freedom to explore new musical directions with their own label, Lowercase People Records. UPDATE, JUNE 2008: Though he’s just over 30, Jon Foreman’s lyrics sound like words of wisdom from a man who has learned several lifetimes’ worth of lessons. Although he has sold millions of albums and performed for countless sold out crowds with his band Switchfoot, Jon is a man still journeying towards self-discovery, unafraid of questioning anything in his path. Through a series of seasonally themed solo EPs, Jon shows a whole new side to his artistry that falls outside the Switchfoot aesthetic. “Because of the autobiographical nature of these songs, they became a self portrait that was far too personal for a band to release,” Jon explains. The latest installment, Summer, opens with “A Mirror is Harder to Hold,” a track that wholly reflects this sentiment. This final installment might be his most personal yet musically varied of the four EPs. Jon wistfully sings about the struggles of examining one’s self over sunny acoustic guitar strumming and the warm mariachi-esque horns that color several tracks on the album. “Again” is a slow-burning, contemplative ballad and an affirmation of Jon’s beliefs. Summer also includes “Resurrect Me,” the most up-tempo tune of the series. The track has an east-meets-west flavor with its driving rock beat and sitar-like guitar lines. Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer each serve as a chapter of Jon’s stripped down, intimate and direct vision. It is one that begins with a foray into death and decay, but eventually transforms into reflections on growth and rebirth. All four discs were produced by Jon Foreman with Grammy-nominated Charlie Peacock serving as the executive producer. As Summer is about to release, the song “The Cure For Pain,” from Fall, was used in the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy. Additionally, “This Is Home” was written and recorded by Switchfoot for the Walt Disney Studios and Walden Media theatrical release, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, which became the No. 1 movie at the box office. The song is heard over the end title credits of the film, and appears on the Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack CD, the No. 1-selling soundtrack at iTunes. |
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