On Vice Verses, Switchfoot take a sledgehammer to whatever boundaries may have been restraining their more aggressive side. The shaggy blues rock of "The Original" boasts a prominent soul-funk edge, while the pointed political statement "Selling the News" combines distorted spoken-word commentary with disco-kissed beats. Lead single "Dark Horses" is a formidable slab of jagged rock 'n' roll with a low end as sticky as tar, and metallic, buzzing synths even permeate the stormy “The War Inside,” lending the band a no-nonsense industrial sheen.