Beautiful Letdown

For a band who took their name from their beloved surfing hobby, Switchfoot are anything but posterboys for the slacker mindset. The San Diego quartet spent little time resting on the laurels of their Best Rock Gospel Album Grammy nomination for 2000's LEARNING TO BREATHE, opting for a tireless tour schedule instead. Their first offering with new label Red Ink finds the band further refining their pop-rock craft. Switchfoot's music makes no secret at making musical nods to their contemporaries, most notably Foo Fighters ("Ammunition"), Third Eye Blind ("Dare You To Move"), and Sugar Ray ("Gone"). With THE BEAUTIFUL LETDOWN, Switchfoot succeed at making a document reflecting on real life with a consistent undercurrent of hope and humility.