Search - Jon Foreman :: Fall & Winter (Dig)

Simply Beautiful

Christopher McDermott | Denver, CO | 11/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the album we've been waiting for.



Every Switchfoot album comes with one or two of those incredible, personal, stripped down songs. "Let That be Enough," "Twenty-Four," and "Shadow Proves the Sunshine" come to mind. But those songs are just one facet of a larger Switchfoot sound.



In this EP, however, the bare, emotional songs are given a platform all their own. And Foreman does not disappoint. In the spare but lovely, "The Moon is a Magnet," we get poetic musings accompanied by only acoustic guitar, cello and a bass clarinet. "The Cure For Pain" sees Foreman at the peak of his songwriting abilities, reflecting on the last 10 years of his life. This track is sure to stand out as the strongest of the bunch. But, honestly, there is not a weak song here.



It's everything you could hope for from a solo Jon Foreman set. Honesty, beauty, stellar songwriting."

Jon Foreman at a Whole New Level

Nicole Green | Seattle, WA USA | 11/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've got to say that I was blown out of the water when I heard these six absolutely beautiful songs for the first time. Jon Foreman has combined stunningly gorgeous acoustic-style music with powerful, brutally honest lyrics. Being a fan of Switchfoot, of which Jon is the lead singer/songwriter, I have been exposed to his style of writing and music for a long time now- fans of Switchfoot, be prepared for something totally different than you have ever heard before.



The Cure for Pain- Possibly my favorite song in this current set. It is one of those songs that touches the soul and calms a troubled heart. Jon singing "And heaven knows, heaven knows, I tried to find a cure for the pain" sends chills down my spine every time.



Southbound Train- Another one of my favorites. Amazing harmonica and beautiful guitar rhythm come together to narrate the rhythms of the experience of riding home on a train with the one you love.



Lord, Save Me from Myself- This one is more "upbeat" than the other songs. A playful guitar rhythm along with Jon's lyrics, especially "Electric sun keep shining, ripen daughters of the chrome, This world is where I breathe, let it never be called home" explore the things in this world such as sex and riches which often cause the downfall of man.



Equally Skilled- Inspired by Micah 7 in the Old Testament- this song speaks about how the hands of mankind are "equally skilled" in doing things like evil, bribing the judges, and perverting justice, yet the Lord will still bring us to His light.



The Moon is a Magnet- The Bass Clarinet in the background gives the 1:54 song another musical dimension as it explores the role of love in human lives- "Love is a sadness, love is a madness, we are the addicts" and how being in love seems to be what everybody seeks- "what are we if we're not in love?"



My Love Goes Free- This track is truly different from the others and finishes this six-song EP very strongly. Jon's well-developed falsetto combined with keys provides a soothing piece of music. The analogy of the birds that Jon uses provides powerful imagery to accompany the music, which makes this song one of the most powerful in the set."

Hauntingly beautiful

Barry L. Wallace | Sikeston, MO USA | 05/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hauntingly beautiful, both lyrically and musically, the tracks on this 2-disc collection serve up a potent cocktail of melancholy realism, laced with an occasional ray of hope.



Love and life can be devastatingly painful, as anyone who's lived very long knows. The important insight Jon Foreman hints at in these simple songs is that much of our pain is self-inflicted, and our only real hope of rescue necessarily lies outside of ourselves.



The instrumentation is pleasantly sparse, but also somewhat unusual. When's the last time you heard an acoustic rock CD feature a clarinet on one song and a bass clarinet on another? As a former trumpet player I also enjoyed the tastefully understated trumpets that appear in the background of some of the songs.



It's very rare that a CD immediately captures my thoughts and emotions after a single listen the way this one did. All in all, this is some of Foreman's best work. Coming from a big Switchfoot fan, that's saying a lot."