The Best Yet
Artist: Switchfoot
Label: Credential/EMI
Time: 18 tracks/76:08 minutes

I have always considered Switchfoot a singles band. With the exception of their breakthrough record The Beautiful Letdown, I have never been interested in their full-length records, though I have enjoyed the songs I heard on the radio. So naturally, news of their new best of record, aptly titled The Best Yet, excited me.

Switchfoot formed in 1996 and released three albums into the Christian rock ghetto with varying success. Their first album made little impact. Their second record New Way to Be Human made small waves off of the strength of its title track, and the follow up Learning to Breathe contained the catchy "You Already Take Me There," a song that was perpetually stuck in my head for about a year. And the video is still hilarious too.

Surprisingly, these two early hits are MIA on The Best Yet. As are other fairly popular songs such as "Gone," "More Than Fine," and "We Are One Tonight." Why are these songs not included? Well, you'd have to ask Switchfoot, because the band handpicked all 18 of the tracks that made the cut. What surprises me even more than the exclusion of the aforementioned hit songs is that I don't miss them.

The album begins on a quiet note with the track "Dare You to Move," a song made famous on the soundtrack to the film A Walk to Remember, which is largely credited for giving Switchfoot their breakthrough. From this the record moves right into the band's fastest and heaviest tunes, "Meant to Live," "Stars," and "Oh! Gravity." All three will get stuck in your head for days and will leave you feeling deliriously happy hearing them back-to-back. 

Usually it is best for compilations to run in chronological order, but in this case the more random sequencing works to the band's advantage. Their style has remained consistent, but not stagnant, and album is compiled in a manner that puts the songs in a logical order so that they play off of each other's strengths. In fact, the sequencing is flawless, beginning with heavy tunes, moving into more mid-paced territory halfway through, then picking up again before closing with two of the band's most moving ballads, "Twenty-Four" and "Beautiful Letdown." It feels more like the ideal Switchfoot album than a collection of hits.

Perhaps this is why I don't miss some of the popular singles. They are more than made up for with album tracks like "Learning to Breathe," the ballad "Only Hope," made famous by Mandy Moore's cover, and the Indian tinged "Dirty Second Hands," easily one of Switchfoot's best songs that didn't get nearly the exposure it should have. 

The band did a good job of picking their best here. Without a doubt if someone asked me about Switchfoot, I would tell him or her to listen to this record. It goes beyond the trappings of the usual compilation, and though it does not include some of the band's biggest singles, it's actually better for it. Long time fans will appreciate the depth of its track list, and new fans will quickly become die-hards. The Best Yet lives up to its title, and hopefully the qualifier "Yet" is indicative of many more years of great songs.

Noah Salo
http://noahsalo.com