5. (Tie) Beck, Sea Change
Beck Hansen, alt-rock's original "Loser," found his way back to a state of melancholy in 2003, although his latest offering, aptly titled Sea Change, exhibits a sobriety and maturity not found on his previous works. No Gen-X anti-anthems with ironic afterthoughts ("drive-by body pierce!") for lyrics here — Sea Change is written with a world-weariness far beyond the writer's twenty-odd years. The first single announced to the world that he was "tired of fighting for a lost cause," but it’s opening-track "The Golden Age" — part moonlit-sky night-driving anthem, part salve-in-the-wound breakup song — that really sets the tone for the rest of the album, delivered in Hansen's gruff, brokenhearted tenor: "Put your hands on the wheel; let the golden age begin."
5. (Tie) Switchfoot, The Beautiful Letdown
After writing almost half the soundtrack to one of last year's sappiest movies, San Diego-based rock band Switchfoot sought to redeem themselves with their male constituency by rediscovering overdrive pedals and releasing an album full of drop-D guitar anthems, with a couple of piano ballads thrown in for the chicks. As a result, they became Christian music's hottest ticket last summer, with first single "Meant to Live" getting regular play on MTV2 (still a relatively rare occurrence for a band saddled with the CCM label and its related baggage) and the band earning a nod as the "Next Big Thing" from Fuse.
Lyrically, the band is still chugging down the same track as their last three records, expressing a deep-seated discontent with the status quo and merely religious Christianity from within the musical confines of post-grunge pop-rock. Lead singer Jon Foreman's been reading the right stuff — "Meant to Live" is based on T.S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men" — and some of his curt Gen-X/Y one-liners ("I have no generation") slam into their targets like cruise missiles, but he still hits wide of the mark when he tries to be both disillusioned and resolved ("show me my motivation…one hope and one salvation"). Still, a CCM band that can shake Christians out of their comfort zones, challenge non-believers to reach for something more, raise money for Bono's DATA project, and write a collection of catchy, enjoyable rock songs more than deserves a spot on this list.
Article comments
1 - BrownBoognish
I like your choices, but Sea Change came out in 2002.
2 - visualsimplicity
It's funny how Nada Surf will forever be known by the "Popular" song, but they've taken to the road and put together 2 great albums since then, and sadly, none will ever reach the same fame.
Oh and for some reason, I love Beck's creativity, but I found Sea Change (which was I think the result of him breaking up with his longtime girlfriend) to be rather long winded and a tad boring (all the songs also sounded very similar to me). I tried to get into it, but it was far too melancholy for me.
3 - John Adams
Ah, darn it, Boognish, you're right. And well before 2003 (September). But still, the first single didn't hit the airwaves till March or April 2003.
4 - The Theory
interesting picks. I like seeing both Switchfoot and Damian Jurado on there.
5 - Eric Olsen
very interesting list well defended, John, thanks