In middle school, they told us that we were meant to live for so much more, and sitting in the back seats of our mothers’ sedans, we believed them. A decade later, this Christian pop–rock band has yet to take its own advice. Leaving behind slow, guitar–led melodies for refined, upbeat bass lines, the San Diego band has reverted to washed–out mainstream melodies that bring the lyrics of another familiar song to mind: “I Dare You To Move.” Songs like “Saltwater Heart” further emphasize abstract feelings of hope, preaching faith over synthesizers and drum loops for a try–hard, uncharacteristic sound. 2003 Switchfoot was fine in comparison; this album is the real “Beautiful Letdown.”
Grade: D
Download: “Who We Are”
Sounds best when: Hating yourself for declaring a science major
