I realize that it’s not so easy to imagine the season of spring as the temperatures and snow fall here in Sapporo, but bear with me as I review Jon Foreman’s third seasonal EP. Yes, I know you’ve been dying to read it, so here it is: a song-by-song review of Spring.

Track 1) March (A Prelude to Spring) - Already from the title Foreman’s clever use of language is established yet again, as “March” is indeed both a prelude to the season of spring and this very EP of Spring. The song itself is a short one and a half minute sing-along. By this I mean that the track sounds like it could be found on a toddler’s first CD; the blended vocals of Foreman and guest singer Molly Jenson are quite playful, and the backing horns sound like they’re right of the soundtrack to a child’s TV program. By itself, this song doesn’t stand-out, but as the “prelude to Spring,” it does its job by setting up more hopeful and upbeat tones than in Fall and Winter.

Track 2) Love Isn’t Made - This is one of the best songs of the entire EP. Even if there are only six tracks in total, this song still stands out by managing the difficult task of sounding mellow but hopeful. Foreman’s formula for success (simple acoustic guitar, cello, and drums) is employed yet again, but this time with vocal tracks from his wife and sister-in-law.
In the chorus, Foreman sings “Love isn’t made / Love doesn’t sell or pay / But we buy and sell our love away,” criticizing the lack of unconditional love in the world. Even though the lyrics can sometimes be dark, the overall tone is positive with lines like, “So I arrive at the conclusion,” where Foreman sings about finding answers instead of asking questions like he did excessively on Fall and Winter. Love Isn’t Made sets up the theme of resolution and rebirth for the rest of the EP.

Track 3) In My Arms - Lyrically and musically simple, In My Arms strengthens the theme of straightforwardness over complexity. Indeed, after the contemplative songs of his previous two EPs, songs like In My Arms provides a much-needed refreshing break. However, the problem is that that is all the song does; it is more of a column that holds up the structure of Spring than an intricate stained glass window. The purpose of the song is just to build on theme. Like Love Isn’t Made, In My Arms also provides answers instead of questions with the line “I think I figured it out” in the bridge.

Track 4) Baptize My Mind - The jumpy guitar riff in the intro creates an uplifting and uptempo mood that remains for the whole song. Again, this works with a theme that accompanies the season of spring (rebirth), but the song itself is not exactly one of Foreman’s best as it is keeps repeating a riff that isn’t exactly ear-candy to begin with. What saves the song at the end is the metaphorical lyrics.

Track 5) Your Love Is Strong - Considering that this is the best song from all of his EPs, how remarkable is it that Foreman probably spent the least amount of time on lyrics for this track than on all his others? The reason Foreman didn’t really have to strain over the words is that the lines come directly from the Bible. Yes, the verses are composed of lines from the Lord’s Prayer. Of course Foreman puts the biblical words into contemporary language, and adds his own lines here and there to make the Prayer fit into song-form.
Besides the fact that it’s pretty dang cool how Foreman put such a traditional piece of world history into song, the music itself amazing. The entire guitar part is constructed of only eight chords, but those eight chords work amazingly together to create a catchy riff that doesn’t get old. The chords in the chorus keep progressing up the scale - fitting in with the theme of spring that is rising out of the dead of winter. The song also shows off Foreman’s vocal flexibility as it goes from low and rough sounding in the verses to high-pitched but powerful in the bridge. You should definitely check out this song.

Track 6) Revenge - Revenge is a good EP-closer for Spring, as it somewhat progresses out of the simplicity of the previous five songs. More abstract in its lyrics, the song previews the theme of growth culminated on Summer. It also returns to a more depressing mood, made obvious by the opening lines of “I’m the failure / I’m everyone’s fool / And I’m losing my cool at the end.”