Customer Reviews

Hoobastank

5 star:		(108)
4 star:		(63)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

Despite that the lead singer looks and sounds like Brandon Boyd, and the other guy looks like Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray, These guys can rack out some tunes. I ran across Hoobastank while downloading to my MP3 player, The first song I downloaded was Up and Gone. That song was great so I kept downloading thier songs until I bought thier CD. They're great and has very little similarities to Incubus. Now time to dissect the CD.

1. Crawling in the Dark- the first single from the band, the song switches tempo on the chorus part. Pretty good.
2.Remember Me- arguably one of the best songs on the CD, little metal influence.
3.Running Away- one of the Incubus sounding songs, starts off with an acoustic guitar and kicks with soaring vocals.
4. Pieces- a fast paced song, one of the weaker songs cuz' no intellectual lyrics.
5. Let You Know- another one of Incubus sounds, rocking with bass all through the song. very good lyrics on this song.
6.Better- Apperently he found out what better was, He finds himself asking all of these rethorical questions.
7. Ready for You. A strong point on this CD, Soaring guitars, vocals and outstanding lyrics. What more could you ask for?
8. Up and Gone- My personal fave, I bump this song in my truck all of the time, It has BASS whew!
9. Too little too late-on this song I found that they were just finding out where they stand music wise. This may very well be the second single, and this may very well be the Hooba sound. I like it three layers of vocals layed on this song. Good catchy hook.
10. Hello Again- Pretty tight knit song. A fun to listen to song.
11.To be with you- a slower paced song but solid somewhat emotional. I dont know why, but everytime I hear this song I think of Radioheads "Knives Out", maybe because of the sad sounding guitars.
12. Give it back- Rock and Roll intro and different sounding vocals.
As you can see, If you really have an ear for music, You can distinguish the difference between Incubus and Hoobastank. They are soooo worth a chance.

It's not that I'm angry that he doesn't like Hoobastank, it's that he lacks professionalism. You don't rip an album to shreads -- you list good and both bad things and let the reader decide whether or not it's worth the purchase -- especially for a debut CD, you moron. Get a new job. This album is a colossal major debut with strong vocals and simple music to back it up -- simplicity can be good -- why should you have to go all out and technical when you can produce something just as great [if not greater] by keeping it minimal? Hoobastank is one of those bands that proves it. See them live when you can, they will make you respect them even more.

Hoobastank--despite the rather unappealing name--has a good chance of being very big. They are hard, heavy, fast, but also quite melodic, with excellent singing (and occasional screaming) by lead vocalist Douglas Robb. He and guitarist Dan Estrin are the primary songwriters, but bassist Marku Lappalainen does contribute to some songs. The drumming of Chris Hesse is tight, and even funky at times. Hoobastank are both accessible and heavy, and those are good ingredients right there. They just need to start branching out a bit further on their second album.

This is a band that is young, hungry, and things are really beginning to happen for them. Already their self-titled debut has gone platinum plus, largely on the popularity of the extremely catchy first single "Crawling In The Dark." I love this song! Its lyrics are fresh and honest, and the music alternates between mid-tempo and fast. So, after buying this CD as part of a package deal, I've finally gotten the chance to sit down & listen to the rest of it. The Verdict: It is a solidly good CD that packs a strong punch on several tunes, but offers very few surprises.

One of these surpises is the CD's length--or lack of it. Although it sports 12 tracks, HOOBASTANK is only about 39 1/2 minutes long. This means that the songs get to the point real quick, so the CD doesn't become boring; it's just that many of the songs do sound kind of the same after a while. "Crawling In The Dark" is still the best and most distinctive song on here, but I don't think that Hoobastank will join the ranks of one-hit wonders. I like "Let You Know" with its funky vibe and solid harmonies. The real surprise is "Ready For You" which sounds very much like Blink-182 on the verses. It's real catchy, and I suspect that this will be released as the second single. The band storms right into the heavy, thrashy "Up And Gone" which reminds me of early Incubus. "To Be With You" is the one slow, mellow song, and it's sensitive without being too sappy. But then the 'stank roar back with their closer, "Give It Back." This is a fast, furious, heavy track in which lead singer Douglas Robb alternates between singing, screaming, and even rapping a la Fred Durst. It's really cool, except for the weirdness at the very end, which sounds like the band's either making fun of potential critics, or themselves. Whatever the case, this CD is a good start from which to build Hoobastank's career.

Just a final note: Hoobastank may be compared with certain bands (probably the closest comparison is with Incubus, although there's definitely no plagiarism here), but they sure don't look like other bands. I like the band's diversity: Douglas Robb is half-Japanese, Marku Lappalainen is Finnish, and Chris Hesse is German. Hoobastank can't be accused of being a cookie-cutter rock band; instead, they sure are a talented one--and they do rock hard! RECOMMENDED

I had heard lots about this band called Hoobastank. My friends urged me to buy the CD, so I did. I just finished listening to it for the first time, and am already listening a second time. All the tracks can be played in entirety, and can be repeated. Crawling in The Dark is definitly my favorite song, but the lyrics on Let You Know is a good song for you guys to dedicate to a girl. If I were to rate the songs 1-10 (see bottom), no song would be below a 9. You may think you don't like a song, but you just keep listening and grow on it. They have a unique sound, one that reminds me of a metal version of Incubus. Any band somewhat sounding like Incubus must be good. This is probably one of the better nu-metal bands out there today. Here is my track rating:

Crawling in The Dark: 10 (The best song on this album)
Remember Me: 10
Running Away: 10 (Probably the 2nd best on the CD)
Pieces: 9
Let You Know: 9 (YOU MUST FOCUS ON THE LYRICS TO TRULY LIKE IT)
Better: 9
Ready For You: 9.5
Up & Gone: 10
Too Little Too Late: 10
Hello Again: 10
To Be With You: 9
Give it Back: 9

This is truly a great CD with one disadvantage....it's only 39 minutes long.

Hoobastank:

Dan - Guitar
Doug - Vocals
Chris - Drums
Markku - Bass

i just got this album about less than a week ago, i heard most of the album online as Hoobastank has it on there site. I was pretty impressed. It took me only 3 songs, before i went out to buy it. BUT.. i couldn't find it at hmv and tower. They said there was no such band at all, and once again, the most famous line, 'Hobawho?' appeared! But i finnaly got it the next day.

Hoobastank (originally called Hoobustank) displays a range of music. From a slow, meldolic song like 'Running Away' (A track which was done acoustic at the band's album relase party with Ed Kowalczyk of Live) and 'To Be With You' to something more faster and hearvier like 'Crawling In The Dark' and 'Pieces'. Every song is well crafted, and lyrics true to the heart, and with amzing vocals, guitar riffs and drum loops. Douglas Robb, has a amazing voice as most of the review's have said, and also comparable to Bradon Boyd (Incubus). But a true Incubus fan would know, that they aren't the same. I acutally couldn't tell the similarities of Doug's voice in 'Crawling In The Dark', but i could a bit in 'Running Away', 'To Be With You' and 'Let You Know'. Both bands are very talanted, and both from SoCal. But if you like genarilizing things, you could say Hoobastank is Incubus without the DJ. I really think this band is going to become super huge. Watch out for them, and looking at them perform in the video, looks like their live concerts are amazing. A lot of energy.

This is a must buy album. It worth every single penny. Especially if you are a fan of bands who play a wide range of music.

I had heard lots about this band called Hoobastank. My friends urged me to buy the CD, so I did. I just finished listening to it for the first time, and am already listening a second time. All the tracks can be played in entirety, and can be repeated. Crawling in The Dark is definitly my favorite song, but the lyrics on Let You Know is a good song for you guys to dedicate to a girl. If I were to rate the songs 1-10 (see bottom), no song would be below a 9. You may think you don't like a song, but you just keep listening and grow on it. They have a unique sound, one that reminds me of a metal version of Incubus. Any band somewhat sounding like Incubus must be good. This is probably one of the better nu-metal bands out there today. Here is my track rating:

Crawling in The Dark: 10 (The best song on this album)
Remember Me: 10
Running Away: 10 (Probably the 2nd best on the CD)
Pieces: 9
Let You Know: 9 (YOU MUST FOCUS ON THE LYRICS TO TRULY LIKE IT)
Better: 9
Ready For You: 9.5
Up & Gone: 10
Too Little Too Late: 10
Hello Again: 10
To Be With You: 9
Give it Back: 9

This is truly a great CD with one disadvantage....it's only 39 minutes long.

I originally didn't give Hoobastank a chance, until I heard them in concert opening for Incubus. They put on a hell of a show and I bought the CD, which turns out to be almost as good.

The album has some really great songs, and some decent songs. Things sort of lose momentum about halfway through, but the album is short, so you can listen to the first few songs again, which are worth a second listen anyway.

This is energy-driven music, and best listened to with the Bass turned up. The vocals are melodic, and the contrast is good against the rest of the band.

Sometimes, the lyrics become a little too Woe-is-me, like the world is working against poor Hoobastank. The pace of the music more than makes up for this fallback though. Overall, it is definately a disc worth having.

Hoobastank is one of those rare rock bands that only comes along every once in a while. You can't really compare their music to anything else out there. I've read some comparing them to Incubus, which is an accurate comparison considering lead singer Doug Robb's voice is almost identical to Incubus' Brandon Boyd and their music has faint hints of S.C.I.E.N.C.E in it. But other than that, Hoobastank stands alone.

Another rarity is that Hoobastank can appeal to a broad range of rock listeners. Whether you like Linkin Park, Incubus, 311, or Sum 41, chances are that you will find a few songs on this album that are listenable. Hoobastank uses catchy guitar riffs and hooks combined with melodic verses and choruses and a nice addition heavy bass on some songs ("Better" "Pieces"). Nearly every song on this album has the potential to be a radio hit. The only other album out there that had that kind of potential was Linkin Park's "Hybrid Theory" and we all know the success that it has become.

The best songs on this album are the first single and track "Crawling In the Dark" which pretty much sums up what the band's creative style will be like for the rest of the album. Another gem is the fourth track "Pieces", which has a wonderful, melodic chorus. "Ready For You" is also an extremely good song that implements a punkish tone in the verses and some great background harmony during the chorus.

Those are the best songs on the CD. Thats not to say the rest aren't any good. The rest are great. But I think that those three are so good that they are better than other bands' entire albums. The best part is that these tracks are combined with the other very listenable songs like "Remember Me", "Better", "Up and Gone", "Hello Again", and "Running Away" (great bridge) to produce a one of a kind album.

Hoobastank has already shown that they have great potential. They will be big.

To say that Hoobastank rides upon the coattails of So Cal brothers, Incubus, is like saying the Monkees were trying to be the Beatles.

It's exactly right. Still, to say Hoobastank and Incubus are the same thing is far from truth.

Hoobastank does have a remarkable similarity to Incubus. Lead singer Doug Robb's whine/wail voice is very similar to Incubus' Brandon Boyd. Still, aside from that and the hard rock edge (think Incubus' S.C.I.E.N.C.E. more than Morning View), there are few other similarities between the bands.

"Crawling in the Dark", the single, sounds much like Incubus without the turntable work of DJ Kilmore. This is a straight on rock band. "Hello Again" begins with what sounds almost like Smashing Pumpkins and drops a very catchy chorus. The whole track is very listenable, and would most likely make a good second single for radio. "Running Away" is the acoustic track of the album. Its intro is purely accoustic, but soon weaves itself into the crunch rock electric guitar. "To Be With You" is the calmest approach on the album and is very soothing. A close listen will quickly remove the similarities between Incubus' Boyd and Robb.

There is clear talent with this band. Instrumentally and with their sound, everything is in place for Hoobastank to join the ranks of new rock bands already growing in popularity. (Incubus, Staind, Linkin Park, Sum 41.) The Bottom Line is that this band is not an Incubus twin, though the similarities are evident. If you are a fan of Incubus, you will surely like this album, and if you are just into rock you would most likely enjoy it as well. Either way, expect to be pleased. The album is an impressive display of what So Cal has to offer the music scene.

A lot of people say Doug Robb (lead singer) sounds a lot like Brandon Boyd from Incubus. They also say that Hoobastank is a rip-off of Incubus. I can guarentee none of those people have heard Hoobastank's previous album, "They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used Too". Hoobastank changed a lot from that album, they were more ska back then, when they had a brass section in their band. I actually like the old Hooba better, or should I say Hoobustank. But, none-the-less, "Hoobastank" is a great album.

"Crawling In The Dark" - The song that brought them into fame. It's definatly not their strongest, but it's a decent song. I'm sure everyone's heard it, so I don't need to explain. 7.5/10.

"Remember Me" - Their third single, and one of the best tracks on the album. I LOVE this song, I love the beginning, and I love the guitar riffs, and I loved singing this song at their concert. Very upbeat. 9/10.

"Running Away" - The second single, great, great song. The acoustic version is the best, but I love this version too. Everyone's heard this one too, so no need to explain. 8/10.

"Pieces" - This is an OK song, its a little too crazed/heavy for my liking, and I don't like Doug's screaming. But it does have good lyrics, and it does have it's good parts. 7/10.

"Ready For You" - Love the guitars in this song, and I love the change of pace from kinda slow to fast, another good song to sing along to in the mosh pit. I love the chorus, Doug's voice is great in it. 8/10.

"Let You Know" - Don't really like this song, particuarly the only thing I really like is the chorus. I don't like the other parts, the guitar chords are just...bleh. 6/10.

"Better" - Love the way this starts off, right in your face kinda thing. You can literally feel the emotion in Doug's voice, which makes this a great song. "I'd still rather be me than me be you"...Awesome lyrics. 8.5/10.

"Up and Gone" - I like the way this one starts out also, and the distortion of Dougs voice is cool. And then it goes into the heavy guitar, and then back to easy. I like the transitions, it makes the song more interesting. 8/10.

"Too Little Too Late" - I love the guitar strumming in the beginning, and throughout the song, and I love the way Doug sings in this song. 8.5/10.

"Hello Again" - One of my fav tracks on the album, love the way this one starts out, and the chords played. Chorus is great too, and this was another favorite of mine played live at the concert. It's very happy/up beat. 9/10.

"To Be With You" - This song is a bit slower, and the guitar chords that are strummed sound awesome. It's very flowing, and it's a great contrast song to this album. 8.5/10.

"Give It Back" - The best track on the album. You know the saying, "they save the best for last"...Well, it's true here. I can relate to the lyrics word for word. "I let you in and showed you all of me, but you took it all and trashed the place, and im so sick of cleaning it up, give it back, you need to give it back, the loyalty is something that you lack", one of the stories of my life. Amazing, amazing song. 10/10.

I've been to one Hoobastank concert, and I was about 20 feet from them at the Sprite Liquid Mix Tour. Out of all the 8 or so acts I saw, including NERD, Jay Z, 311, Nappy Roots, and Non Point, they were the best. They sound just as good live as they do on the cd. A must have CD for any rock fan.