San Diego’s favorite sons – the multi-platinum selling rock band Switchfoot, deliver exactly what their fans have been clamoring for – fresh new music. Their eagerly awaited sixth studio album (third for Columbia records) “Oh! Gravity” is an outstanding effort easily appeasing their throngs of fans.
“Oh! Gravity” is the first new studio collection from Switchfoot since the group’s “Nothing Is Sound,” entered the Billboard Top 200 best-selling albums chart at #3 in September 2005.
For this new album, Switchfoot has developed a harder rock edge for their sound and songs on “Oh! Gravity”. “We’re always used music as a vehicle to explore our own questions and frustrations,” says Jon Foreman of the bands new album. Foreman sums it all up by saying, “I’m in therapy and I write songs. It’s all an attempt to try to come to terms with reality". It is just that kind of intense introspection that draws their audience into their music sharing that personal interconnection and sensationalism fans have begun to expect from this band.
“Oh! Gravity” expands Switchfoot’s sonic palette while at the same time deals with social issues dealing with the crux of their problems in songs such as the alt-country blues of song “Dirty Second Hands”, in which 
Foreman sings of the dehumanization that comes with technology.
Other politically motivated tracks include the title track, “Oh! Gravity,” a general appeal for love, peace, and understanding. This track is a searing rendition of this high-energy tune, which poses the question “Why can’t we keep it together?”
While their songs may be politically motivated they don’t hit you over the head with their opinions rather they are objective letting you draw on your own conclusions.
After all the success and rewards, Foreman insists he’s not feeling any pressure to top the band’s superb track record, but is coolly confident about the new album. “It can kill the art worrying about how the records going to do,” he says. “For us success is making music that is gratifying to you. The break-even point for the record that my band made back in high school was for us to sell 300 copies. To us, that was success. We took a chance on this record, not to sound selfish, but to make something for ourselves. What other people think can’t change our minds about these songs. And that is a good feeling. Because you believe in it or you don’t.”
Switchfoot has found a comfortable place for themselves with this new record. Being able to intermingle politics with relationship issues is something they do so every skillfully. Check out Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman (vocals, guitar), brother Tim Foreman (bass), Chad Butler (drums), Jerome Fontamillas (keyboard, guitar, backing vocals) and Andrew (Drew) Shirley (guitar) at www.switchfoot.com or on MySpace.com/switchfoot.
