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Print Tooth and Nail, 2006 The early contender for pop-punk record of the year has arrived, so smile! Actually it is called “Smile It’s The End Of The World.” Two years ago Hawk Nelson burst onto the scene with their debut CD, Letters To The President. They’ve been a guest on the NBC series American Dreams, playing the role of the 60’s rock act The Who. They were featured in the recent Disney movie, Yours, Mine and Ours, and sold over 100,000 copies of that debut disc. They have also toured extensively. I realized just how big the last two years had been just a few months ago during the Winter Jam Tour stop in Cincinnati, Ohio. The crowd seemed to know just about every one of the songs from the first record and responded well to a few of the new ones. Any time you are one of the “opening acts” and the crowd sings along with you, it’s a good day at the office. Smile, It’s The End Of The World begins with what the band calls one of their favorites on the new CD, “The One Thing I Have Left.” This song dives into how people use words to take away from others and hurt them. Don’t let the term pop-punk fool you; these boys are fun, but sometimes that fun music has some heavy lyrics. “Zero” deals with the issue of a friend’s suicide, and one of the strongest tracks, “Everything You Ever Wanted,” explores the issue of abandonment that divorce can bring. I tried to be perfect, tried to be honest You told me once you’d show up A great balance of serious and fun, the up-tempo self-described ‘party’ songs - “The Show,” “Bring ‘Em Out,” “Something On My Mind,” and “Nothing Left To Show” - will be hits live. “Bring ‘Em Out” rocked the Winter Jam Show I saw earlier this year, bringing the crowd quickly to its feet. One note on “The Show”, the band heard a barbershop quartet on the street and brought them in to help out, and amazingly enough…it worked! Smile, It’s The End Of The World shows no sign of a sophomore slump for Hawk Nelson. A great mix of fun and serious, a little more season to their sound, and Hawk Nelson is poised for greatness. It may be a stretch to do it before the CD is released, but this could be the next Christian crossover act to impact the secular charts. For fans of Hawk Nelson, this is a must have. If you like your music loud and aggressive but you also enjoy catchy melodies, pop hooks, and harmonies in your punk music, give this a listen. The album closes with a reminder the world is coming to an end, but for some of us, that’s okay. The sun goes down and then she slips away The end is near so much left say ninetyandnine.com © 2006, Jamin Tuttle --------- Jamin Tuttle is the Youth Pastor at Point of Grace Family Praise Fellowship in Madison, Indiana. He enjoys spending time with his wife, 4 year old daughter and all the NASCAR and IRL coverage one person can consume between now and November. |
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