HAWK NELSON IS MY FRIEND
Posted September 29, 2008
By CCMmagazine,
Listening to Hawk Nelson’s third studio CD, Hawk Nelson Is My Friend, is the sonic equivalent to running a marathon or more aptly, sprinting a marathon. The Tooth & Nail band opens the disc with intense energy, thanks to front man Jason Dunn’s impassioned vocals, Jonathan Steingard’s edgy electrics and Daniel Biro and Aaron Tosti’s pulsating, erratic rhythm section. The explosion of sound from the electrifying opener (“You Have What I Need”) to the honest, unfettered closer (“I Still Miss You”) charges on for nearly 40 minutes. It’s spiked with adrenaline like a runner’s high and leaves the listener exhausted, but exilerated, at the album’s end.
Produced by David Bendeth (Elvis, Paramore, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus), HNIMF is stacked with co-writing appearances from a line-up of tunesmiths including Richard Marx (“Right Here Waiting”) and Thousand Foot Krutch’s Trevor McNevan. McNevan is credited for discovering the band and had a hand in writing or co-producing both of Hawk’s previous outings.
The new disc picks up where the Canadian-bred four-piece left off with its 2006 CHR smash, “Everything You Ever Wanted.” More pop than punk, HNIMF throws a few bones to punk purists with songs like the clangorous “Just Like Me.” But the album really excels on more accessible alternative pop anthems like first radio single, “Friend Like That,” which radiates a raucous energy. The sensitive, melodic “Arms Around Me” would be a perfect compliment to current mainstream pop radio playlists, as well as the hooky “Not The Same.” Even the slow songs (“Somebody Else”) are more mid-tempo than down-tempo, and like the rest of the album, don’t leave much space between the notes. - Lizza Connor Bowen
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CCMMagazine.com. Click here to visit CCMMagazine.com today! View All Music And Book Reviews By CCMmagazine | View CCMmagazine's Profile
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