Train’s ‘Jupiter’ Stays Firmly on Track

The term “nonthreatening rock” may sound like an oxymoron, but it’s been a gold mine ever since Pat Boone sang “Tutti Frutti.” In recent years, a successful variation on that theme has been plied by earnest young American men singing of love and life with just enough substance and yearning to separate them from plastic pop but without taxing anyone’s intellect or challenging their values. Thus, Hootie & the Blowfish and Matchbox Twenty are as much era-defining artists as 2Pac or ‘N Sync, and Train’s latest makes its debut in the Top 10 of the sales chart.

In part, that success is a payoff for hard work--the San Francisco band (which plays the House of Blues on Thursday) has built a following on steady touring. But the breakthrough is also reward for not reaching far beyond its predecessors’ formulas. This album shows some growth, with the standard mid-tempo rock and sentimental, lighter-aloft ballads surrounded by mandolin-accented, Mellencamp-ish Americana, string-drenched faux-soul (singer Pat Monahan is a dead ringer for the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson on the title song) and late-night moods (with Monahan’s vibraphone and trumpet coloring “Respect” and “Mississippi,” respectively).

It’s pleasant and accomplished but lacking in both artistic and emotional statements, perfect for satisfying fans without disturbing them. Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.