There's not really any real rock songs on the CD, and the opening title track is probably the loudest one on here. But the loud ones are very catchy and enjoyable. Complete with trumpets, my first impression of "Company Car" was that if you switched lead singers it could easily pass as a Five Iron Frenzy song. I can't think of anything knowledgeable to say about some of the other ones, like "Incomplete" and "I Turn Everything Over." They're just really good songs.

    Most of the soft ballad-types are incredible. "Only Hope" had the privilege of being selected for the movie A Walk to Remember's soundtrack, and that was not an unjust decision. "Sooner or Later" is this nice soft song that at the bridge suddenly picks up for a really cool ending. I didn't really like "Amy's Song," but this may have been because I'm not sure what it's exactly talking about.

    Switchfoot still had some room to grow as far as musical structure. The choruses of a couple of the songs (such as "Under the Floor") didn't really sound like choruses. They sounded more like pre-choruses that should have built up to a real chorus but instead went right back down into the next verse. But hey, as long as I'm telling them what they should have done, "New Way to Be Human"'s second verse would have sounded better if it was as long as the first verse. To go back to comparison mode, it's not like this stuff is bad, it's just that since then they've gotten better.

    Jon Foreman's songwriting talents have always been evident, and this is no less true with New Way to Be Human. "I Turn Everything Over" is amazing. I love the whole rumor thing. The pre-chorus says "What can we do if the rumors are true?" Then the bridge says "Rumor has it you love me...and the rumors are true." I also love the line, "I'm an already but not yet resurrected fallen man," whose oxymoronish tone reminds of the yet-to-come "beautiful letdown." That's the best example, but most of the other songs feature good, clever lyrics as well.

    In conlusion...there's not much left to say. With my hindsight point of view, Switchfoot's newest CD is so much better than this one. But this one is still really good. You may not enjoy it as much if you're only familiar with the band's more recent material, but you'll still enjoy it. And if you've never heard Switchfoot, what's wrong with you? This CD is excellent.

Music Variety: 9 of 10
Musical Talent: 8 of 10
Lyrical Value: 9 of 10
Worth Buying: 8 of 10
Overall Rating: B (85%)

CMusicWeb.com
The Good News: Switchfoot's sophomore album brings many new delights for the listener, and is more focused and stylized than their first album. These California surfers came up with a song which was undoubtedly the anthem of this past summer, "New Way to be Human", but also went much farther, creating a whole album about this topic. Their blend of alternative rock starts the song with this weird noise and three little bells, and develops into a chorus of crunchy guitars singing "there's a new way to be human"...The disc focuses on the New Way to be Human throughout, further elaborating on the message of the title track.

JesusFreakHideout.com
The Good News: New Way to Be Human tends to take the listener through 10 well-crafted songs, some fast and fun, some slow and contemplative. But a theme seems present on this album, unlike the previous [Legend of Chin]. The title seems to ring throughout the album as topics are tackled such as emptiness without God, becoming a new person in Him, and evangelism.
Rating: 4 of 5