These guys are in not for the good of their health. They’re not in it to bag a few Grammys and bed a few beauties. They didn’t even get in it to try and sell something. They’re in it (they say) to ‘connect’ with people on a different level’. Yup, I’m a cynical old goat and the glowing endorsement from self-proclaimed spokesman for a generation, Bono hardly helps matters – but charity is where they’re at. And it’s more likely where they’ll earn their keep.
After an invitation to last December’s Nashville summit for DATA (Debts, AIDS, Trade for Africa) founded by the aforementioned Bono, Switchfoot vocalist and guitarist Jon Foreman felt enthused with enough love, hope and faith to stamp down on that distortion pedal and give it some hell.
Single ‘Meant To Live’ combines the dark, intense lyricism of bands like the RX Bandits and Thirdeyeblind with the kind of fist to the ceiling thrust and stomp of Finch and Billy Talent. It’s not punk, it’s not pop, it’s not metal and it’s not strictly the kind of thing you’d get away with here in the UK outside cable and God TV. But with its brooding, leaden skies and its thunderclap horizon, it’s not a disappointing opener. Better still are the David Sylvian/Japan oriental suggestions of ‘This Is Your Life’. Okay, it’s pompous, it’s bombastic but it’s also monstrously pretty and peppered with hooks. The delicate shuffle breaks of ‘More Than Fine’ could even pass for something off ‘OK Computer’ – being as it is a neat marriage of gentle acoustics and whirring machinery. But it’s not all good news. ‘Ammunition’ shows a less than subtle, axe-wielding Switchfoot alter-ego and ‘Dare You To Move’ shows that for every clever and understated reference-point there’s a big whopping billboard-sized sentiment ready to gatecrash all you’ve set out to achieve. Let’s face it, when a song begins with the lines ‘Welcome to the planet/Welcome to existence’ you know you’re in for a right old burly reprimand, now don’t you? ‘Tears For Fears’ suffered a similar weight of office: ‘Welcome To Your Life/There’s no turning back’. This is not insight – it’s the lanky pretension of youth.
Produced by John Fields (Andrew W.K) and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge (Goo Goo Dolls, Michelle Branch), Tom Lord-Alge (Blink 182, Rolling Stones) and Jack Joseph Puig (John Mayer, No Doubt) The Beautiful Letdown just about deflects any obvious puns on its merit by dosing up on hook after hook of blissed-out candy rock and ditching draconian pulpit zeal in favour of great tunes. However, if you’re looking for something as challenging as British Sea Power, or as crazy as The Distillers, I’d kind of put it down and walk casually away from the display racks.