POP MUSIC REVIEW : Energized Jawbreaker Lacks Emotional Focus

Jawbreaker is a tough nut to crack. Of all the punk-derived power pop outfits who have charged onto the scene in the last couple of years, the San Francisco-based trio has left the most confusing trail.

The band seems to regard the formal record industry with a Fugazi-like skepticism, yet it chose to sign with a powerhouse Geffen label for big bucks. Musically, Jawbreaker seems determined to infuse the tidy, literary sensibility of their songs with the reckless, unstudied energy of their Green Day brethren--an approach that met with marginal success on “Dear You,” their Geffen debut this year.

The same contradictions came into play during Jawbreaker’s Wednesday night show at the Palace. Though their set bristled with lots of edgy energy, it lacked emotional focus.

Singer-guitarist Blake Schwarzenbach crafts songs that revolve around finely honed irony and carefully cultivated pessimism, but his band’s earnest, understated stage presence lacked the dynamic flair to drive the words home--despite bassist Chris Bauermeister’s festive kilt ensemble.

The evening’s most engaging number was one titled simply “Unlisted Track” on the latest album. Schwarzenbach sang it with only his guitar backing, a move that allowed the words to emerge to full effect. Compounding the scattered feel of the evening were frequent breaks while the band members tuned their instruments, all of which further disrupted the momentum.

Jawbreaker may be poised for mainstream popularity, but the group will have to chart a clearer course if it expects to reach it.