VICE VERSES

So today I’ve decided to write about an album that I enjoyed listening to recently. It’s Vice Verses by Switchfoot. It is not a very new album – it was released in September 2011. I totally love this album. When I usually listen to a music album, I like a couple of songs or so but with this one I like a lot of the songs. The album is well defined and I think each song flows into the next one. It’s like the theme of the album which to me seems like “the deeper questions of life or our purpose of existence” sticks out in each song. I’m just going to give a short intro to three songs I like the most in the album.

The first song “Afterlife” is a neat start to the album. The song asks if we are letting too much for the afterlife and aren’t doing enough now. I think the line below sums up the whole theme of the song. I really love the opening riff to this song.

“Why would I wait till I die to come alive?”

The third song “The War inside” is the next song I like. The verse kind of has a monotonous tone to it but it also feels like it’s building up into something big and the chorus definitely delivers what it should. The idea that most of our fights are inside of us – the questions, the fears, the doubts and things that shape our views, our perspectives and our actions are hidden deep inside us is brought out brilliantly by this song.

“This skin and bones is rental,
And no one makes it out alive”

“Where I belong” is definitely my favourite song of the album. It has a quiet and peaceful sound to it. The way the songs starts with “Oh oh oh oh” and how that runs throughout the song is just awesome. It talks about our hope in an eternal life and how our life on earth is just temporary.

“I still believe we can live forever;
You and I we begin forever now”

The album ends with the lines above being repeated a few times. And it’s cool that the same lyrics actually are in the first song as well. I really like how the end is connected to the start.

Honestly I’m more of a country music lyrics fan usually, where the lyrics are simple and I don’t really have to guess what they’re saying because it’s plain and simple. But I like the lyrics (and music) of this album, it’s not very complicated but it’s not simple either. You can definitely interpret each song in more than one way. I also like Switchfoot’s views and questions on Faith.“I can’t just shut it up and fake that I’m alright”

Some of the other songs I like in the album are “The Original, Restless and Dark horses. If you’ve not listened to this album before, you definitely have to listen to it.

BAD NEWS

I recently read this comic strip in Cyanide and Happiness. It’s silly and funny and I had a laugh reading it. Yesterday I was reading Psalm 112, and verse 7 almost talks about the same thing!! It’s about the righteous, God fearing and upright person.

“They will have no fear of bad news;
Their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”

I was reminded of the comic and how the character in it reacted to the news. I wonder if we could react like that when we hear bad news. It’s something to think about.

I loved the whole Psalm though. So I’m going to post it in its entirety. It’s an assurance of the blessings that God wants to give people who fear Him, delight in His word, give freely to the poor, conduct their affairs with justice and are compassionate and gracious. Not that I’m anywhere close to that, but I like how simple the Psalm is and how easy it is to understand what God expects from us and what he’s willing to give us. I guess verse 7 and 8 also remind us that things aren’t always going to be easy and we’re not going to only hear what we want to hear. But even if things are hard now, we will always triumph in the end.

PSALM 112 (NIV)

1. Praise the Lord.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
who find great delight in his commands.

2. Their children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3. Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures forever.

4. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.

5. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
who conduct their affairs with justice.

6. Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.

7. They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord

8. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

9. They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn will be lifted high in honor.

10. The wicked will see and be vexed,
they will gnash their teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.