Hello Hurricane

Roaring back on a new label with a retooled sound, Switchfoot turns Hello Hurricane into a triumphant statement of purpose. It's not that the album is free from fear and doubt — lead singer/songwriter Jon Foreman grapples with a host of inner afflictions in these tracks. But the strength of Hello Hurricane comes from its sense of spiritual victory in the face of overwhelming odds, aided by some of the brawniest rock the band has laid down since its inception. Distorted guitars and clattering rhythms lend urgency to “Needle and Haystack Life,” “The Sound (John M. Perkins’ Blues),” and “Bullet Soul.” Foreman takes on a desperate edge in tracks like the galvanizing title song, snatching joy from impending disaster. Emotional breakdown — and the promise of spiritual rebirth — is a reoccurring theme, captured with fevered eloquence in “Free” and “Mess of Me.” In contrast, “Your Love Is a Song” and “Enough to Let Me Go” are more contemplative visions of man’s relationship with God. “Always,” a delicately wrought expression of love between parent and child, may be the album’s most affecting moment.