The Beautiful Letdown
| The Beautiful Letdown | ||||
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| Studio album by Switchfoot | ||||
| Released | February 25, 2003 | |||
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| Length | 44:18 | |||
| Label | Columbia/Sony BMG | |||
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| Singles from The Beautiful Letdown | ||||
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Jesus Freak Hideout |  |
| IGN |   |
| Cross Rhythms | |
| Robert Christgau |  |
| Tiny Mix Tapes |   |
| Sputnik Music | 4/5 |
The Beautiful Letdown is the fourth studio album by alternative rock band Switchfoot. Released on February 25, 2003, it launched the band into the mainstream on the strength of two top 20 singles: "Meant to Live" and "Dare You to Move." The album was hugely popular and remained a staple on the Billboard 200 album charts for a considerable amount of time. The album sold over 2.7 million copies in the US and was eventually certified double platinum by the RIAA.
The album won an Album of the Year award at the 2003 San Diego Music Awards. It was ranked No. 195 on Billboard's 200 Albums of the Decade.
In 2002, the band entered the studio to begin recording of the follow-up to their 2000 record, Learning to Breathe. They were unsigned at the time, their contract with re:think Records/Sparrow having expired with the completion of Learning to Breathe. Bassist Tim Foreman has said that "this was the most freedom we had ever felt while tracking an album – no record labels, no distractions, just four guys making the record we'd always wanted to make." They finished recording in two weeks, but shortly afterwards, were signed to the major record label Columbia Records/Red Ink. This ultimately delayed the release, as the label submitted the album for further mixing and marketing. "Sony is a big battleship of a company," said lead singer Jon Foreman. "It takes a long time to turn it around. It's like parallel parking a Buick." It was finally released February 25, 2003 as The Beautiful Letdown.
The album featured some of the band's most intricate work to date, and featured a departure from the lo-fi indie rock sound of their previous three albums. This shift to a more layered, heavier rock sound with occasional electronica influences can be attributed to the addition of long-time touring member Jerome Fontamillas as a full-time band member. Contributing more to the recording process by filling in with his added instrumental versatility prompted Foreman to note, "I feel like Jerome is a great team player. I mean the same thing where live he just kind of fills in, is the same thing on the album. He's just a wonderful guy to have around." The sound was also influenced by the fact that "these were songs that we'd played live countless times, songs that we'd lived with." "This was also the most prepared we'd ever been for a record," bassist Tim Foreman has commented. The album brings together an eclectic sound as it gathers inspiration from the previous ten years of contemporary rock. The song "This Is Your Life" features a more subtle pop jam while the up-beat, light-hearted "Gone" brings the album to an entirely different place musically, exemplifying the band's musical versatility.
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