The Hawk Circles Overhead
Posted October 22, 2008
By art10,
After an awesome debut that put Hawk on the map and an inconsistent follow-up, Hawk Nelson is apparently self-conscious about how many friend they have on MySpace, following after my MySpace satire tune, "1 Million Friends On MySpace Can't Be Wrong." So, since they couldn't get Stellar Kart's "Me & Jesus," they produce the more rockin' "Friend Like That." Along with that song, and "One Little Miracle," you've probably already had your share of the new Hawk. But the million dollar question is, is the album any good?
The album finds a happy medium between their first two albums, which is usually the case with third efforts. The first thing you'll notice is the band reverts back to its heavy punk pop sound as in "You Have What I Need," and the band largely keeps the album upbeat and fun shown in "Turn It On," only tackling the heavier stuff on the surprising last track "I Still Miss You." This is clearly a rock party mixed with positive the lyrics seen in "One Little Miracle."
"Ancient History" highlights the album with its catchy verses and totally awesome chorus. Its a very strong track all the way through, and will certainly make their inevitable 'best-of' release.
Of course, not all the songs are completely up to snuff. "Somebody Else" delivers on the chorus, but bores on the verses. The same goes for "Arms Around Me," and "Words We Speak. "Just Like Me" on the other hand sounds like an MxPx cover.
In asking what's the better Hawk Nelson release, it's kind of hard to judge because they're different in tone. "Letters to the President" still holds up with their raw and unabashedly simple-minded pop punk, but they also knew how to create a serious political track and punch out a killer ballad. "Hawk Nelson Is My Friend" is a radio friendly happy medium that mixes the band's maturity while still holding onto their pop punk sound. But I contend that this at least equals 'President.' But, before buying, get the special edition which gives you the most bang for your buck, adding some awesome bonus tracks. View All Music And Book Reviews By art10 | View art10's Profile
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