Fans of Switchfoot rejoice: The new album is out and better than the last.”Nothing is Sound,” Switchfoot’s fifth studio release, is catchy and masterfully written, probing the listener into examining today’s materialistic society.

A self-proclaimed attempt at “trying to sing something true with a broken heart,” Switchfoot’s frontman, lead singer Jon Foreman, said the album stemmed from a verse in Ecclesiastes that says, “Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless.”

“Nothing is Sound” is about the paradox that is today’s society; a society that is always trying to validate itself through material ways when all that really matters is your soul.

Although the album is darker and moodier than Switchfoot’s previous release, the songs offer a wide variety of meaning. Containing music for every mood, “Nothing is Sound” puts into words the things that everyone feels but no one knows how to vocalize.

The album kicks off with the uptempo “Lonely Nation,” a tune that was inspired by how kids can stay connected through instant messenger and text messages – and still be lonely. This leads into the band’s first single, “Stars.” Of all the songs on the album, “Stars” has the most potential to match and exceed the success of “Dare You to Move,” the band’s Top Five single from its previous release, “Learning to Breathe.”

Compared to the double platinum “Learning to Breathe,” “Nothing is Sound” is much more heartfelt, with lyrics that hit closer to home. Credited as an album full of “dreams and questions,” “Nothing is Sound” is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise dreary music scene. Recorded over the last two years, the tracks were laid down in dressing rooms in between soundchecks, interviews and more than 400 live performances. It’s 50 minutes of thought-provoking lyrics entwined with infectious melodies that serve to lift up the soul and give you hope for a better tomorrow.

-Kelsey Hasler and Jordan Haygood