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A Hawk Christmas | Posted November 16, 2011
What do you get when take a band known for creating inventive punk rock and present them with the opportunity to make a Christmas record? Sure, utter chaos might be you first thought, but if it’s one thing Jason, Jonathan, Justin and Daniel of Hawk Nelson have shown their fans in the last several years, it’s that their not afraid to take on a challenge--including one that involves a little Christmas Wassail.
Following up their largely successful Crazy Love, released earlier this year, Hawk Nelson’s Christmas EP, produced by none other than the band’s guitarist, Jonathan Steingard, takes seven of the most beloved Christmas songs ever written and infuses them with a dose Hawk Nelson flair.
“This EP is long overdue from us,” says bassist Daniel Biro, “Our fans have been asking, and we have finally delivered.” Those fans will most certainly not be disappointed.
Talk about starting off an album with a bang, a rocky rendition of “Hark The Herald Angels Sing” explodes unto the scene, slowly fading into a soft acoustic moment of worship with the inclusion of “O Come All Ye Faithful,” an unexpected, but lovely twist nonetheless.
The classic “The Wassail Song” makes a spirited appearance as it is followed up by a downright quirky and hoedown flavored “Up On The Housetop.” It will definitely go down as one of the more memorable tracks on the record, and one longtime Hawk fans will love it almost instantly.
“The Holly And The Ivy,” another longtime holiday favorite, slows the pace way down to that of a classic ‘by-the-fireside’ Christmas album, while a hilariously a cappella version of “Joy To The World” completely steals the show (word to the listener, pay close attention to the background vocals and be prepared to laugh…)
A short but sweet “I Saw Three Ships,” a longtime seasonal hymn, appears but for a brief and bubbly second before this EP finally comes to a close with the serene “Silent Night.“ Serious and moving, it cuts past all the prior silliness of this record and moves deep into the heart of the holiday, bring back into focus why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Laced with beautiful string arrangements, it takes a frolicking and fun album and finishes it on a high note.
Closing Thoughts:
It’s interesting how short side projects, such as EP’s, Christmas albums, etc, can highlight how much more an artist is capable of creating, such is the case with this project. The Christmas EP showcases how Hawk Nelson, while crazy talented and almost guaranteed to make a fantastic pop/rock record, are able to stretch themselves into making something different, yet at the same time, still completely them. Musically, this might go down as the “Hawk Nelson-iest” Hawk Nelson project to date, and I hope they continue to go down this lighthearted yet passion driven path in the future.
The only thing I would have liked to have seen the band attempt is an original song, seeing as they are fully capable of making something out of nothing, but in the end, I’d rather hear seven brilliant covers than something they had to strain for any day. Hawk Nelson’s Christmas EP is a genius creation and one that is surely going to wow their fans. It was well worth the wait, and I hope the band follows up on this with a full length Christmas album in the near future.
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Good, but the Hawks could done better... | Posted December 20, 2011
In 2006, Hawk Nelson released a 3-song Holiday EP called “Gloria.” By then their success was just starting to come in. Fast foward to now. After releasing the smash albums, “Hawk Nelson...Is My Friend!,” “Live Life Loud,” and, most recently, “Crazy Love,” the band return to the holiday spirit with their new 7-song EP “Christmas.”
The EP opens up with the smash up of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and “O Come All Ye Faithful.” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” is a fast-paced rocker that runs for the first minute and a half of the song. The song then stops and slows down for “O Come All Ye Faithful,” leaving only the vocals of Jason Dunn and the acoustic guitar left, and then builds at the end for a great finish. “The Wassail Song” follows this, and is very upbeat as well, very true to Hawk’s musical style. This is a different version than what I’ve heard, but great none the less. “Up On The Housetop” is a fast paced acoustic oriented peice that was not exactly my favorite on the album.
“The Holly and the Ivy” slows down the album a little bit and focuses more on the real meaning of Christmas, and is one of the best songs on the album. An a cappella “Joy to the World” starts out great, but then ends with Jason Dunn’s wailing, which immediatly ruined the song.
“I Saw Three Ships” brings the punk-rock energy in, and didn’t turn to be one of the greatest songs on the album. The album closes with the more Jesus focused “Silent Night,” which turned out to be the best song on the album, and closes it really well.
Overall, while Hawk Nelson are a great band, this new EP didn’t impress me. Most of the songs didn’t even hit the two minute mark, making the pace of this album kind-of a whirlwind. So this wasn’t exactly their best effort, and I think they could’ve tried a little harder. But, songs like “Silent Night” and “Hard the Herald Angels Sing/ O Come All Ye Faithful” are the highlights off the album and ones you will want to buy off iTunes or any digital music retailer.
Rating: ******* 7/10
Top 3 Songs:
Silent Night
Hark the Herald Angels Sing/ O Come All Ye Faithful
The Wassail Song
Feel Free To Comment On This Review So I Can Make Them The Best They Can Be!
God Bless!
-dreamingoutloud
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