RED or BLUE
examines where we are as a society
The album Red or Blue by Switchback is a collection of songs that examines where we are as a society in this rapidly changing post-pandemic world. From the first song “Last Chance,” an exhortation to people to act as if there is no tomorrow and live for today, to the song “Good Trouble,” a homage to the late Senator John Lewis, the album wants us to bravely look at our social ills and our political landscape as something we do have the power to control.
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“Red or Blue,” the title track speaks to the current political gamesmanship in the United States. The identity as “red” or “blue” is something that most ordinary people don’t really want. Powerful in its simplicity, the song was inspired by the artists Switchback, touring after the events in Charlottesville and hearing right wing radio extolling what had just happened. The song points the finger at those who have fomented a divide purely for political power and profit. A wake-up call is needed for all of us, and this song is a way to remind us that we still are stronger when we are united.
Switchback also has a little fun at the expense of Silicon Valley. “Avatar” points out the ludicrous attempt to have us hide in an alternative universe while all this real-time turmoil takes place by creating and living vicariously through some alternate self. For die-hard Switchback fans, the album delivers with some rollicking tunes like “Leticia”, a late night romp in a cemetery and the contemplative, “What I Know Now” a look back from the perspective of a person who is growing older. All in all, the album clearly shows us that we have to make a move in our lives, to not be mired in fear. Like the character in the post pandemic song, “Camouflage,” it’s time to get out of the house and face our fears. Any move in that direction is victory, even if it’s as far as one’s garage.
