“Dawn” is the fourth and final EP in Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman’s recent solo project, “The Wonderlands.” “The Wonderlands” is Foreman’s first solo release since 2008’s “Limbs and Branches,” and it was well worth waiting for.
Throughout the course of the four EPs – “Sunlight,” “Shadows,” “Darkness” and “Dawn” – Foreman tracks the course of a day, with each hour’s mood represented by a particular song. “Dawn” completes the cycle, covering the hours of 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Musically, “Dawn” reflects the gentleness of these early hours: it is less striking and dynamic than the previous three EPs and more similar in sound to the “Limbs and Branches” era guitar and piano-driven melodies. The singer-songwriter feel of the EP’s six tracks fits with their subject matter of romantic love and Christian faith, topics which Foreman explores with thoughtfulness and honesty.
Though “Dawn,” like the rest of “The Wonderlands,” is far from the big rock ‘n’ roll sound of Switchfoot, it throbs with the same soul; as ever, Foreman’s lyrics are fresh and poetic, but for all their artfulness they lose none of their heart.
“Dawn’s” opening track, “Inheritance,” is a sweet and nostalgic love song about Foreman’s memories of falling in love with his wife: “We fell in love long distance, back in the payphone times. We didn’t have nothing to offer each other, except for the rest of our lives,” he croons. The simple acoustic guitar and backing harmonies weave together with a melody that evokes the peaceful stillness of the early morning. This feeling, and that of a hopeful sunrise, continues with the light piano and strings of the next track, “Run Free.” In this serious yet celebrative song, Foreman urges the listener to embrace the possibility of a release from shame: “C’mon, won’t you dance? C’mon, won’t you run free?”
“Inseparable,” an adaptation of Romans 8:38–39, has the meditative, devotional tone typical of Foreman’s biblically inspired songs. Here, Foreman shows his songwriting savvy both in his fresh reworking of the familiar verses and in his experimentation with tempo, instrumentation and chord progression.
Following this track is “When We Collide,” another showcase of Foreman’s talent for composition. His gritty but soothing voice lends a tenderness to this love song, and the soft vocals and instrumentation complement the longing of the lyrics in which he sings, “I’ve seen a lot of pretty faces, but I’ve got one on my mind. I’m waiting for the day when we collide.” Likewise, the building layers of the choruses paired with the subtler verses create a song that is not only pretty, but has a strong emotional depth.
The penultimate track, “Mercy’s War,” is an introspective exploration of Foreman’s personal encounters with Christ and of the way mercy wages war on hate. “Oh, the wonderful blood of Jesus,” Foreman prayerfully repeats to the pensive strumming of his guitar, echoed by the soaring vocals of Calvin College choir members.
Bringing “Dawn” to an uplifting close is the single “Before Our Time,” the most energetic track on the EP. Accompanied by a strong foot-tapping beat and lively, pleasantly folksy fiddling, Foreman ends “The Wonderlands” by urging with conviction that “our time is now: let us sing before our time runs out.”
After the heavier, more melancholy preceding installments in “The Wonderlands,” the “Dawn” EP is a breath of light clean air in the warmth of the sunrise. Its heart and hopeful tone make it a strong conclusion to Foreman’s latest project and something for Switchfoot fans to enjoy until the release of the band’s 10th album next year.
