Switch (2005)
Now THIS one hits different. Switch is the first INXS album I have a real personal connection to—more than any of the classic records. Growing up, the reality competition show, Rockstar: INXS was my crash course in reality TV and “classic” rock.
**Spoilers** Canada’s JD Fortune won the show, and his prize was fronting one of the most iconic bands of the ’80s. Not a bad gig! And for me, this album became a time capsule of that whole era—childhood, TV drama, the music my parents loved, and the core memory vacations we took while this show was airing. Well before streaming, so you better believe we were all tuning in live right on the dot.
Even if you didn’t watch the show, Switch stands on its own. It’s the sound of INXS hitting the reset button: new frontman, new energy, and a very 2000s take on their rock-pop-dance hybrid. The sound is sleeker, punchier, and more straightforward rock than their ’90s experiments—but it still carries their DNA.
Devil’s Party opens the record with a wink—likely a tongue-in-cheek callback to Kick’s Devil Inside—and it’s an instant favorite for me. JD’s vocals bring just the right edge, the rhythm section is locked in, and the chorus is undeniably sticky.
There are other standouts too. Afterglow brings the mood down and lets JD show off some real emotional range. Pretty Vegas, the track that won him the gig, still hits with swagger and anthemic bravado. And Perfect Strangers even sneaks in some classic INXS sax flourishes, which I will always support.
That said—let’s be honest—there’s some filler here. Hot Girls, Hungry, and Like It or Not feel like they’re aiming for something but never quite get there. Decent ideas, but missing that last ingredient to push them from “fine” to “memorable.” Still, the band experiments where they can—Never Let You Go surprises with a funky, bossa nova-inspired rhythm, and while it’s not a reinvention of the wheel, it shows they weren’t totally stuck in one lane.
Switch would end up being the one and only full-length outing with JD Fortune—and honestly, it’s a solid final chapter. No, it’s not Kick. No, it’s not Hutchence-era INXS. But once you make peace with that, what you get is a totally listenable, often fun, sometimes even great record from a band still trying to evolve.
Is it messy in parts? Yep. Is it weirdly nostalgic and kinda endearing because of it? Also yes.
Switch is the last gasp of INXS as a band trying to be current, and while it didn’t spark a full-blown renaissance, it did leave behind a few gems and one hell of a time capsule. And for anyone who grew up with it? It’s unforgettable.
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Highlight Songs:
Devils Party
Pretty Vegas
Afterglow
Us
Never Let You Go
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Own it, Stream it, Forget about it?
Might be controversial to some, but for me this is an album worth owning. If you can’t get into the idea of INXS post Michael Hutchence then maybe skip it or stream it. If you can carry on and learn to love change and new things, there may be a good amount of songs on here you’d want to replay over and over.
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Overall Rating:
4 Stars
