Customer Reviews

Hawk Nelson Is My Friend (CD/DVD)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hawk Nelson is a band that is steadily improving. Not that any of their previous recordings are bad, they are actually quite good. But this new record, "Hawk Nelson is My Friend," tops anything the band has done before. The reason why is because the songs are more enduring, as opposed to feel-good, sounds-good-while-it's-on anthems. Singles from the previous efforts such as "California" and "Bring 'em Out" show a taste for melody and pop-punk guitar, but the newest single, "Friend Like That" is more melodic, faster, and with more guitar. As far as pop-punk records go, the sound is a little more varied, witness the opening track, the MxPx influenced "You Have What I Need." "Turn it On" is another classic pop-punk gem, with the middle of the album containing several ballads before picking up the pace again. THe vocals are dead-on, and the rhythm section seems better than ever, not only less predictable, but more in-sync. This is one of the best melodic rock albums I have ever heard from a Christian rock band.

Hyped several months in advance, this release finds the band in a good place spiritually and artistically. Both the label and the band put a lot of effort in promoting this album, and in doing so they let some of the best work out of the bag early on. "Friend Like That" was a single around Christmas time; "You Have What I Need" and "Let's Dance" were available on the band's websites before the album was released. There's still a lot left on the album, however.

One highlight on the album is "One Little Miracle". I'm normally not a fan of ballads on an album like this, but this song really works for the band. "Turn It On", "Ancient History", and "Just Like Me" are punchy little rockers that are every bit as good as the band's best work from previous albums. "I Still Miss You" is a slower ballad with a strong message that closes the album out on a serious note.

This is a Christian album, but outside the last track the band sings more about the fruits of their faith rather than the source of it. Most of the tracks deal with typical Christian responses to life issues, but they more or less talk around the faith aspect and Christ himself. There's nothing wrong with this; this is meant to be a rock album and not a sermon... but some listeners who are looking for direct messages about Christ might be disappointed. When you combine the faith of the band with the messages they are sending in the music it is a very powerful witness.

When I first listened to this CD, it all sounded the same. But after three listens or so, I came to the conclusion that this is a great album. The guys are Christian, but unfortunately, it doesn't get quite as a prominent a place in the lyrics I would've liked. But the songs are great because I can listen to them with my kids. Of course, I embarrass them by singing and bopping along. But that's what moms do!

I absolutly LOVE this CD!!!! The songs are soooo great,I especially like "Friend Like That", and "Turn It On." They make me just wanna get up and jump arround and play air guitar! But there are also songs like "I Still Miss You" that make you really think. I also love the fact that their a Christian band, so I don't have to worry about the content of the lyrics, and making sure my mom's not arround when I listen to them. My dad even likes HN!!! So the only other thing I have to say is..... YOU SO TOTALLY HAVE GET THIS CD!!!! IT ROCKS!!!! And if you don't already have their other 2 albums get them too! And if you end up really liking Hawk Nelson, check out Relient K, FEE, Stellar Kart, and Switchfoot.

I'm a huge Amy Grant fan and she is featured on this cd. I'm glad you had it at such a great price. Thanks!

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.

Real Score: 4.5

I loved this new CD from Hawk Nelson! The songs are great and really fun to listen to. The last song "I still miss you" is almost a tear jerker but so sweet, I love that one. I highly recommend this one if you liked their other CD's!

the best song on the C.d is friend like that it classic hawk nelson. You have what need is song that feels like pure fun. In this C.D. the band does some experimenting. The songs are one little miracle, arms around me,some one, not the same and words we speak. Some are go some not so good. Words we speak sounds more like prise song and need to be punked up. Arms around sounds like they just turn down the beat but still strong. The main thing you get a feeling that they are not getting lost in the experimenting like relient K did. Reliant K is not by any means Reliant from C.D to c.d. Even through there are some song that are off there ones that meet the high standards of punk and make this C.D. good.

I have never written a review of a CD in my life, so there's no reason to really read what I have to say, but no one else has written a review of this CD, so something's better than nothing I suppose. I love Hawk Nelson's first 2 CD's and was eagerly anticipating the newest CD. I probably had unreasonable expectations for the new CD. There are 8 songs I really like a lot and about 4 that I could take or leave. To Hawk Nelson's credit, they have not merely duplicated their previous CDs. This CD contains some new sounds for them and maybe the ones I'm not too crazy about will grow on me. I really respect Hawk Nelson and am still a big fan and will look forward to the next CD as much as I looked forward to this one. They seem to have a lot of fun and still touch on serious issues at times as well. My advice is to listen to the samples and make up your own mind.

This is Hawk Nelson's third major studio album, and I like them better than ever. Their sound has matured, their lyrics have deepened, the lead singer's vocal range has extended, and they still know how to rock and praise God, so it's a very, very solid record.

My favorites: 1."Friend Like That" is fast and fun and absolutely gets your adrenaline going. The choruses are shouty and perfect for blasting from the stereo, and the verses remind me of Relient K in a positive way. It's a good song about being there for your friends and about realizing that Jesus is there for you when you need him. 2. "Let's Dance" is very infectious and it's kind of anti-commercialism with lines like "Money is the god we work for/ Keep up with the style, this artificial smile/ Will only last a while". Hawk Nelson has always been good about promoting individualism and a positive self-image, which I support.

"You Have What I Need" is a good medium-rock song and a great way to start off the album, because it's not the best track of them all, but it's very intense and it makes you want to listen more. "Turn it On" starts off really slow, and then builds momentum. Except for the chorus (and minus the Billy Joe accent), it's a little reminiscent of the old Green Day songs. "One Little Miracle" is a smooth, well-produced song about trying to rebuild broken dreams and about how we can achieve something great for the future if we'll just commit to doing it. "Ancient History" is a great punk song that seems to be about breakups, and I like the stumbling-over-the-words delivery of "nothing from nothing gets you nothing". "Somebody Else" seems to be about feeling the trials of a touring life, a theme which cropped up on the previous album. But with Hawk Nelson, it always feels like their concerns about life on the road are genuine. How can a person spend half their life performing in front of an audience and not have it affect them on a personal level, or have it affect their relationships? This is a great song for actually portraying the kind of ambivalent feelings that a performer might have.

"Arms Around Me" is one of those songs that seems like it could be about a girl, but if you double-check the lyrics, it's about Jesus. It's slower but still has an appealing forward-moving tempo. "Just Like Me" brings back the punk flavor and the shouty choruses, "Not the Same" is slower and name-checks a lot of smalltown locales while missing an old friend, and "Words We Speak" is a bit of an average-everything filler song. "I Still Miss You" is a beautifully composed sad song about the singer's grandmother passing away from cancer. It offers some hope, but acknowledges that sometimes we're simply stuck missing the people we've lost, and all we can do is miss them and remember what they've taught us.

This whole album is quite singable. It's got an ideal mix of fast songs and the occasional slower tune. The lyrics aren't always top-notch, but the music sure is, and this is the first album by Hawk Nelson that has had serious replay value for me.