Style: Amplified punk-pop-rock
Top tracks: “Life Life Loud,” “Eggshells,” “The Final Toast”
In a nutshell: Beloved Canadian pop rockers Hawk Nelson start their fourth record in characteristic fashion: with a pep rally. “If you wanna live life loud, throw your hands up/If you wanna scream and shout, let me hear you” (title track). Yet even as they unleash another punk-tastic, energetic set list, a new undercurrent of maturity runs just beneath the avid guitar riffs and frenzied shouts. They continue to address themes like worry, friendship and embracing the unexpected, but “The Final Toast” is a tribute to the passing of frontman Jason Dunn’s grandfather, while “‘Tis So Sweet” puts a spin on an old hymn, complete with somber bagpipe. The foursome still wears manic enthusiasm as naturally as their plaid pants, but weighty, mellow moments signal the group is growing up.
Copyright © 2009 Christian Music Today. Click for reprint information.
