Hawk Nelson

by Jenny Bennett 

Full of high-energy crowd pleasers with a few softer worship tunes sprinkled in, Hawk Nelson’s album releasing today on Tooth & Nail Records is fun, refreshing, and sure to be popular with kids and parents alike.

The overall theme of the album is one that both parties can definitely agree is relevant – in the age of MySpace, Facebook, Shoutlife (the trend continues with the brand new Zoecity.com) – everyone is looking for a true friend, and if you want to add one more to your total number, go ahead and buy the album, because its accordingly titled: Hawk Nelson is My Friend. You may love it enough to put Hawk Nelson in your “Top 8”!

I had the opportunity to meet the group when they performed on a February episode of The Kitchen Sink, and if one thing’s for certain, their friendly personalities certainly haven't hurt as they've grown to become millions of fans strong.

The band harbors a stronger rock element than some of the other pop rock bands you hear on your local Fish and Top 40 stations. Their originality has the ability to remain understandably popular with the younger crowd, while perhaps winning over a few parents in the process.

Even if the 40 and up crowd wouldn’t necessarily choose to listen to it on their own (probably a good thing in their kids’ eyes – parents SO don’t know what’s cool), they will be pleased with the uplifting, squeaky clean and often spiritually-focused content that Hawk offers, especially on tracks like Somebody Else and Arms Around Me that show the band’s softer side both spiritually and musically.

One of the strongest, most unique tracks on the album, You Have What I Need, appropriately opens up the project with a bang. Turn it On’s opening guitar riff that’s repeated after the chorus gives it a tinge of original even though the verses give it a pretty typical pop-rock sound.

Friend Like That has a typical sound but is still sure to please audiences with an opportunity to shout “friend like that!” along with the band on the chorus. Let’s Dance is another definite crowd-pleaser with an upbeat tempo and an uplifting message about being yourself.

One Little Miracle with powerful call-to-action lyrics, (Maybe this path we’re takin’ could be the road to breakin’ free. Are you with me? One little revolution could turn it all around. Back to the kingdom we once knew.) pairs well with pensive songs like Not the Same, which by the way, is another of the strongest tracks and adds to the musical diversity of the project.

The musical maturity they display is a nice contrast to their youthful style and appearance. Still more sensitivity is revealed through I Still Miss You, a song about coming to terms with the death of a precious grandparent.

My advice: even if you don’t buy the entire album, you’ll definitely want to check out their Green T tour schedule. You’ve got to see Hawk Nelson live to appreciate their energy and fun-loving character. And this album is an impressive example of what fans enjoy about the Hawk Nelson experience.

hawknelson.com
MySpace

More Street Date...