This is the final installment in the Jon Foreman seasonal EP review. We end with Summer, another worthy combination of six satisfying songs.

Track 1) A Mirror Is Harder to Hold - The EP starts with a subtle and soothing sound: a simple acoustic guitar pattern accompanied by nostalgic horns. Later Foreman’s voice slips in, but he does not strain even once during the track. The song sounds like an early Dylan track: relaxed and folksy, but meaningful. The lyrics are straightforward, with no real metaphors, but imagery that paints a backdrop of a nice summer day. Foreman sings about how he does not want to lose his love because without her he’d be stuck with a mirror (himself; okay, I lied, there was a little metaphor), who “is so much harder to hold.” The simple lyrics reflect once again the fear of being alone, a common theme in Foreman’s songs.

Track 2) Resurrect Me - An interesting string instrument that almost sounds like a sitar starts off this song. During the verse a more monotonous guitar riff takes over, and overstays its welcome. However, this makes the chorus all the more relieving to the listener. How appropriate is it that Foreman sings, “There’s no price that I wouldn’t pay to get some relief?” Unfortunately, the only reason the chorus sounds “good” is because the verses are so tiresome by comparison. Definitely not the best song on the EP, musically speaking, anyway. The lyrics pretty much follow the message stated in the line above - Foreman asks to be resurrected from his meaningless life. Although this is a strongly Christian sentiment, non-Christians can also relate to the feeling of wanting to escape a humdrum life. The energy of the song makes it appropriate for Summer.

Track 3) Deep In Your Eyes - This is the best song on the EP. Rather than being formed over an acoustic guitar, the song is written around a simple piano pattern. In fact, the introduction and first verse are composed of only the piano and Foreman’s vocals - not until the chorus do any other instruments kick in. When the guitar, drums, and violins enter at the chorus, the bulging ambient effect makes the song all the better. Lyrically, this song acts as a three minute metaphor. Foreman sings of a river in everyone that seeks the ocean, embodying the concept of humans seeking God into an element of nature appropriate for summer. It is songs like this, musically handsome and lyrically sophisticated, that remind us of Foreman’s excellent song-writing skills.

Track 4) Instead of a Show - The message in this song is quite plain. The first verse is, “I hate all your show and pretense / The hypocrisy of your praise / The hypocrisy of your festivals / I hate all your show.” The words are obviously about people who care more about their reputation as worshipers rather than actually praising God. Again, this is a rather Christian idea, but it can also be applied to secular society: anybody who has been annoyed by people who care more about being seen doing good deeds rather than doing the deeds themselves can relate to the lyrics. The instruments used are typical acoustic Foreman: acoustic guitar, drums, horns, and bass. The sound is nowhere near bad, but it is more the words that make this song worth a listen.

Track 5) The House of God Forever - The beginning “oohs” of this song sound like they belong in the theme song from The Lion King. However, after the introduction of harmonized vocals and harmonica, an acoustic guitar and cello kick in, accompanied by a simple rhythm. Less tense that the previous song, the listener starts to realize a pattern on this EP: soft and relaxed, up-tempo and passionate, soft and relaxed, up-tempo and passionate. The words come directly from scripture, the famous 23rd chapter of Pslams to be exact, where the psalmist compares his Lord to a shepherd. Sarah Masen, who previously collaborated with Foreman on Spring, returns on this song. After singing a verse by herself, her unique voice harmonizes with Foreman, creating a blend appropriate for the mood of the song. Musically, this is definitely one of the better songs on the EP.

Track 6) Again - An idiosyncratic string riff (sitar again, maybe?) is continued throughout the song. This makes the song slightly mind-numbing, and therefore a good choice for an alternative to a sleeping pill. That is not to say the song is unbearably boring, just a little bit... unexciting. The riff is actually quite interesting and rather experimental on Foreman’s part, paying homage to Asian strings and the ambient piano sounds of classical music. Lyrically, the song does not bother to secularize at all as it could be seen as simply praise music. Perhaps the best way to describe this song is by explaining that the image I see while listening is an endless field of golden barley. Although the song breaks the pattern of relaxed/uptempo by putting two relaxed songs back to back, it is a good choice for an EP closer as it better summarizes the overall mood of the music on all of the EPs: sentimental and meaningful. The only thing I can say now is, congratulations Jon Foreman, on four awesome CDs. Hope to hear more from you soon.