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Fading West
Fading West is the ninth studio album by the American alternative rock band Switchfoot, released on January 14, 2014 through Atlantic. The album was promoted by four singles: "Who We Are" and "Love Alone Is Worth the Fight", released in September 2013, "Let It Out" released in February 2014, and "When We Come Alive", released in May 2014.
An accompanying film/documentary, Fading West, premiered on September 20, 2013 during the first concert of the Fading West Tour, and was released digitally on December 10, 2013. The film features a behind-the-scenes look at Switchfoot, and follows the band members to their surfing destinations.
In an interview with Jake Denning, drummer Chad Butler said: "It's been interesting you know – typically a Switchfoot record will start with Jon [Foreman] and a guitar, then we'll build the framework of a song around that. But this time there's been a lot more space to have new experimentation, finding instruments in the locations we go – for instance, Drew [Shirley] finding a guitar on the side of the road in Africa made out of a gas can, being inspired by the unique sounds that it had. (...) I guess it's allowed us to start from the ground up, and let the sounds that we're finding exist without necessarily melody or a lyric yet, and just have a landscape of sound. (...) I think there's going to be room to breathe on the album that we haven't allowed ourselves in the past. You know, I think there's that cinematic idea in the back of your mind that you're creating something that doesn't have to be a 3 minute pop song."
According to Jon Foreman, the album will feature some Switchfoot friends, including his Fiction Family bandmate Sean Watkins and his sister Sara Watkins, saxophonist Karl Denson and Charlie Peacock (the co-producer of "Dare You to Move", who discovered Switchfoot and signed the band to its first record deal): "We want to just kind of pull on different people who play other instruments and can add colors to the score that we would never be able to add."
In December 2012, a tentative track listing for the album was posted by Switchfoot on Facebook and Twitter, saying "FadingWest soundtrack. Subject to change, like we all are..." In March 2013, a new tentative song list was posted onto Instagram by Jon Foreman. Another list, containing thirteen titles, was posted on Switchfoot's Twitter and Facebook pages on 5 June 2013.
The Fading West Tour, held to promote the album, started on 20 September 20, 2013 in St. Louis, Missouri, and will end on November 24, 2013 in Abilene, Texas. In each of 45 American cities, Switchfoot fans are going to see a special screening of the Fading West film, serving as the opening act for an intimate live show. In June 2013, tour dates were published on Switchfoot official website. Dates for other countries have not been announced yet.
The album was preceded by the Fading West EP, released on September 17, 2013. The EP contained three songs from the album, including "Who We Are" and "Love Alone Is Worth the Fight", which were released as radio singles to different formats that day. On September 18, 2013, a music video for "Who We Are" premiered on the Rolling Stone website. A video for "Love Alone Is Worth the Fight" was released on October 1, 2013. "When We Come Alive" was released as the third and final single to modern rock radio on May 13, 2014.
Fading West garnered critical acclaim from seventeen music critics ratings and reviews; however, Metacritic reports that by using four selected independent ratings that the album has a weighted average Metascore of a 71 indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Matt Collar of Allmusic rated the album four stars, and highlighted that the release "is an upbeat, uplifting affair. The band [...] returns to both its musical roots and its beach and surf culture roots. The result is an album that at once pushes Switchfoot's sound forward, while displaying the band's long-running knack for melodic, catchy pop songs." He also noted that some of the tracks on the album, like "Slipping Away" and "Let It Out", "fit nicely alongside work by more contemporary bands like OneRepublic," and that the album "moves from earnest ballads to dancey, groove-oriented cuts to breezy, sunshine-soaked rockers with an easy, athletic flow." At CCM Magazine, Matt Conner rated the album four stars, and called it "the most fun and infectious Switchfoot album ever." Christian Broadcasting Network's Hannah Goodwyn rated the album four spins, believing that "Fading West continues to push Switchfoot across lines, genres and cultures." At Cross Rhythms, Mike Rimmer rated the album a perfect ten squares, writing that "It's the imagination, creativity and willingness not to simply retread previous triumphs that makes this one such a great album."
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Fading West
Fading West is the ninth studio album by the American alternative rock band Switchfoot, released on January 14, 2014 through Atlantic. The album was promoted by four singles: "Who We Are" and "Love Alone Is Worth the Fight", released in September 2013, "Let It Out" released in February 2014, and "When We Come Alive", released in May 2014.
An accompanying film/documentary, Fading West, premiered on September 20, 2013 during the first concert of the Fading West Tour, and was released digitally on December 10, 2013. The film features a behind-the-scenes look at Switchfoot, and follows the band members to their surfing destinations.
In an interview with Jake Denning, drummer Chad Butler said: "It's been interesting you know – typically a Switchfoot record will start with Jon [Foreman] and a guitar, then we'll build the framework of a song around that. But this time there's been a lot more space to have new experimentation, finding instruments in the locations we go – for instance, Drew [Shirley] finding a guitar on the side of the road in Africa made out of a gas can, being inspired by the unique sounds that it had. (...) I guess it's allowed us to start from the ground up, and let the sounds that we're finding exist without necessarily melody or a lyric yet, and just have a landscape of sound. (...) I think there's going to be room to breathe on the album that we haven't allowed ourselves in the past. You know, I think there's that cinematic idea in the back of your mind that you're creating something that doesn't have to be a 3 minute pop song."
According to Jon Foreman, the album will feature some Switchfoot friends, including his Fiction Family bandmate Sean Watkins and his sister Sara Watkins, saxophonist Karl Denson and Charlie Peacock (the co-producer of "Dare You to Move", who discovered Switchfoot and signed the band to its first record deal): "We want to just kind of pull on different people who play other instruments and can add colors to the score that we would never be able to add."
In December 2012, a tentative track listing for the album was posted by Switchfoot on Facebook and Twitter, saying "FadingWest soundtrack. Subject to change, like we all are..." In March 2013, a new tentative song list was posted onto Instagram by Jon Foreman. Another list, containing thirteen titles, was posted on Switchfoot's Twitter and Facebook pages on 5 June 2013.
The Fading West Tour, held to promote the album, started on 20 September 20, 2013 in St. Louis, Missouri, and will end on November 24, 2013 in Abilene, Texas. In each of 45 American cities, Switchfoot fans are going to see a special screening of the Fading West film, serving as the opening act for an intimate live show. In June 2013, tour dates were published on Switchfoot official website. Dates for other countries have not been announced yet.
The album was preceded by the Fading West EP, released on September 17, 2013. The EP contained three songs from the album, including "Who We Are" and "Love Alone Is Worth the Fight", which were released as radio singles to different formats that day. On September 18, 2013, a music video for "Who We Are" premiered on the Rolling Stone website. A video for "Love Alone Is Worth the Fight" was released on October 1, 2013. "When We Come Alive" was released as the third and final single to modern rock radio on May 13, 2014.
Fading West garnered critical acclaim from seventeen music critics ratings and reviews; however, Metacritic reports that by using four selected independent ratings that the album has a weighted average Metascore of a 71 indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Matt Collar of Allmusic rated the album four stars, and highlighted that the release "is an upbeat, uplifting affair. The band [...] returns to both its musical roots and its beach and surf culture roots. The result is an album that at once pushes Switchfoot's sound forward, while displaying the band's long-running knack for melodic, catchy pop songs." He also noted that some of the tracks on the album, like "Slipping Away" and "Let It Out", "fit nicely alongside work by more contemporary bands like OneRepublic," and that the album "moves from earnest ballads to dancey, groove-oriented cuts to breezy, sunshine-soaked rockers with an easy, athletic flow." At CCM Magazine, Matt Conner rated the album four stars, and called it "the most fun and infectious Switchfoot album ever." Christian Broadcasting Network's Hannah Goodwyn rated the album four spins, believing that "Fading West continues to push Switchfoot across lines, genres and cultures." At Cross Rhythms, Mike Rimmer rated the album a perfect ten squares, writing that "It's the imagination, creativity and willingness not to simply retread previous triumphs that makes this one such a great album."