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THE BEAUTIFUL LETDOWN
(Columbia)
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Like Jars of Clay and Third Day, Switchfoot are a polite Christian rock band with an ear for the pop charts. Last year, the San Diego group made a splash on the hit soundtrack to A Walk to Remember, and now they’re diving headfirst into the secular marketplace with their first album for Columbia and fourth overall. On their current radio breakthrough, "Meant to Live," heartthrob frontman Jon Foreman throws down some mammoth bubblegrunge riffs and wears his spiritual convictions on his sleeve: "We were meant to live for so much more." "Meant to Live" opens the disc with a bang, but after that the band go soft with the inspirational ballads "Dare You to Move" and "This Is Your Life." They’re at their best when they get playful, as when Foreman gives a shout out to Bono on the funky Third Eye Blind homage "Gone." Foreman’s bright melodies make up for his somewhat generic lyrics, and producer John Fields (Andrew W.K.) gives the album a clever pop shine. Switchfoot don’t get any points for originality, but they get by on skill and enthusiasm. (Switchfoot perform Wednesday, October 15, at Axis. Call 617-262-2437.)
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