n the world of adult alternative, Matchbox 20 has its Rob Thomas, Nickelback has its Chad Kroeger and 3 Doors Down has … well … that guy from 3 Doors Down.

Despite the fact that Brad Arnold will never be a household name, he and his fellow bandmembers have sold 12 million records since springing up from the mud of their Mississippi hometown in 2000 with multiformat megahit “Kryptonite.”

Seventeen Days, their new record, showcases just how these moody rockers could achieve such success without relying on a single drop of charisma.

The lyrics are usually too repetitive to say much, delivered in bite-sized pieces such as “You love me but you don’t know who I am” from “Let Me Go,” the forgettably pleasant lead single.

The album’s stronger points come from deviations in the pace; “Father and Son” tells enough of a story to rise above the record’s masculine Avril Lavigne sound that’s mostly made-for-radio. Well-made-for-radio.

Sure, the songs might begin to blend early on, but the production is sharp, the hooks are huge and hummable, and it becomes apparent that this music doesn’t need a charismatic frontman or unique style when it so nicely fills the airspace between commercials.

Seventeen Days is either rock music for folks (yes, folks) who don’t like rock or pop music for folks who think they might. It’s finely crafted enough that you can expect to hear it filling car dealership airwaves all year long. Just don’t expect the DJ to remember the lead singer’s name.