Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown

Switchfoot; a surfing term taken and used by a bunch of West Coast ocean boys that make music from the heart and never like to get too far from the beach. After listening to their latest album, The Beautiful Letdown, it seems pretty accurate too. From the day I first listened to Switchfoot, I felt I had heard all the songs before. I am still not quite able to place what it is, but there is something about their songs that seem eerily familiar. It could be that almost every track seems “radio ready” and reminds me of one band or another. Take the opening track, “Meant To Live”, which brings back memories of Hum, follow that with “This Is Your Life” which makes me think David Gray, and then “More Than Fine” which has another, different feel, that I can’t even place. That trend continues throughout the album with a little Goo Goo Dolls mixed in, and some more David Gray, with each song having a hint of something else in it. It may also be helpful to know that the band has been nominated for Grammies and singer Jon Foreman was given the Les Paul Award. Basically, they are good at what they do. Now despite what I have said about the band sounding like other bands, that’s not to say that they aren’t their own band. I mean even if it does sound like various other bands, what music doesn’t? The music is damn good and ranges from soft piano intros to heavy distorted guitars and everything in between. And although a bit poppy at times, they still manage to bring the rock. Should you buy it? I would try to find a nice indie store where you can hear it first, but if you are looking for a good radio-rock record (none of that nu-metal shit) then give Switchfoot a try. [www.switchfoot.com]