CDs to Obsess On
[I write a regular column for the Community Press newspapers in the Cincinnati area. This is the first of two columns I've just submitted dealing with four newer CDs I find myself listening to a lot these days.]

Music has always been important to me and I tend to obsessively listen to several new CDs for weeks or months on end before moving onto the next obsessions. Right now, my attention is on four recent releases, all of which I highly recommend. In this column, I'll review two of them and in the next, I'll look at the other two.

(1) Matchbox Twenty occupies a place in the contemporary pop-rock pantheon just one step below bands like U2 or the Rolling Stones. Security from their niche in the music world may explain the lyrical and musical confidence that is evident on each track of "More Than You Think You Are."

Although Matchbox Twenty is often derivative in their melodies and arrangements, the tunes–from rollicking rockers to ballads–are always satisfying. Lead singer and composer Rob Thomas pens wonderful lyrics; memorable lines abound on this CD.

(2) "The Beautiful Letdown" comes from Switchfoot, whose music off of previous releases added so much power and beauty to the movie, "A Walk to Remember." One word describes "The Beautiful Letdown": passion. But not the cheap version of that rich and important word that is often trotted out on prime time TV and in movies. Composer and lead singer Jon Foreman oozes with a passionate desire to live life to its fullest, refusing to take a single moment for granted.

Switchfoot isn't so much a Christian band as they are a band made up of Christians. The result of that twist on their identity is that Foreman and mates avoid the cliches of much Christian music today. There are no praise tracks here. Foreman is unapologetic about that. He said in a recent interview with "Guideposts for Teens" that not every building designed by a Christian architect is going to be a cathedral, so we shouldn't expect a Christian musician to only produce worship music.

But in Foreman's case, what you can expect are haunting melodies, engaging arrangements, sparse and insightful lyrics, and authentic wrestling with the real gut issues of life. Dim echoes of Sting and the Police can be heard in Switchfoot's work. But they really use their influences as launching pads for creating truly unique music. This is my favorite CD of the past year.

To be continued...