By: Kevan Breitinger
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Hawk Nelson
Hawk Nelson Is My Friend
BEC Recordings
Pop
04-01-2008
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SCORE
 
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Canada’s Hawk Nelson continues its deep connection with their peeps on their third studio release, even going so far as to title the project with a fan-friendly nod to a T-shirt that has been a hot part of the band’s merch since day one. Can you feel the love? It flows through all eleven tracks of the new album’s guitar-driven pop-rock, from the warm and fuzzy “Friend Like That” to the moving piano ballad “I Still Miss You,” written by frontman Jason Dunn at the passing of his grandmother.
It’s guitars, guitars, and then more guitars all the way through, from the taut guitars and thick riffs of opener “You Have What I Need,” to the edgy riffs thick as rope on the hard-driving “Friend Like Me.” Written with the stadium in mind, the latter confesses the need for ‘somebody on the inside, somebody who can set me free,’ and seeks confirmation from the listeners: ‘make some noise if you feel this way/ anybody got a friend like that?’ Prepare for pumping fists across all festivals this summer.
Co-writers on the disc include long time friend Trevor McNevan (TFK), Matthew Gerrard, Our Lady Peace lead Raine Maida, and ‘80s songsmith Richard Marx, which may explain the classic rock opening of the frenetic “Turn It On.” But for all those contributors, there’s not a lot of diversity on Hawk Nelson Is My Friend. They continue to turn out their hook-filled choruses, most notable on the soaring “Ancient History,” the straightforward “Arms Around Me,” and in the tight harmonies of the splashy “Somebody Else.” Message-wise, you have to appreciate the cunning twists of “Let’s Dance,” railing against the self-satisfied, and the fiercely delivered “Just Like Me,” declaring “You’re not alone/ You know we all are guilty/ Join us in the song/ And sing the chorus with me.” Even through all the hard-driving beats, the band does know how to turn a melodic phrase (“Not The Same,” humming with taut energy). But they really bare their hearts with the deeply sincere closer, an atmospheric tribute to Dunn’s grandmother “I Still Miss You.” The moving ballad credits Christ as the answer to every issue of life and death, and the entrance of thick electric guitars mid-track only add to the song’s vibrant power. Hawk Nelson Is My Friend will satisfy lovers of frenetic pop rock and guitar aficionados. This one’s for the fans, fo’ sho.
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