They’re back!!!!!

Hawk Nelson releases their fifth album, Crazy Love in exactly one week and I love it just as much, if not more than their last album, Live Life Loud from 2009. This album has one more song than the last album, which makes 13 tracks total.

The instrumentals and musical arrangement on the up beat first track, “Tally-Ho” are catchy, exciting, and hypnotic. Musically, it seems to be the most fun track on the album, aside from “Crazy Love.” Although I love the break in the song, “We’re Alright” and cannot wait to see this song performed when the guys take this album on tour. And the acoustic arrangement that ends the song, “Fraud” is brilliant.

But back to “Crazy Love” for a moment. This being the first single for the album, it sets a tone that doesn’t necessarily represent the sound of the entire album but the consistency of the album is still a familiar sound…a well balanced mixture of soft rock, pop, good ol’ rocking out, and worship – that is until the the explosive screamo track, “LAX.” This is the only track that will get a skip in my iTunes library.

As for songs like “LAX” that won’t get many plays in my iTunes library…it might be safe to say “We Can Change the World” is the anthem of this album. The idea of the song is sweet and encouraging and the execution of the song is less corny than one would expect, but there is still a hint of cheesiness that cannot be escaped with this type of song. Then there’s “Joanna,” which is a fun song about a girl that sticks out like a sore thumb because it is not about God. It gets a skip on my play list simply because it ruins the flow of the overall message on the album.

And now back to the crazy good parts about the album. The lyrics are more honest, spiritually speaking than you may expect. The band seems to really embrace and connect with the motive behind their music more and more as each new album releases and that is wonderful. “My Next Breath,” “Your Love is a Mystery,” and “One Shot” are just three of the songs on the album that are worth listening to all day simply because these lyrics are just so beautiful, so uplifting, and inspiring. Come on, wake up, wake up, wake up before it’s over…You gotta truck, take a drive, go somewhere to feel alive. This is just a portion of what there is to hear in “One Shot.” Go out there and don’t be afraid or intimidated by the world; go live a life of greatness. Take advantage of God’s grace, his mysterious love and share the love.

Those are powerful messages to send and will definitely hit a chord in many listeners. Without the bridge in “Skeleton,” this is a rad rock n roll song with lyrics that will hit you to the core. Without a doubt, “Done Holding On” will set a lot of people free as it really channels the emotions of so many people, Hawk Nelson fans or not. It’s not commercial, but it needs to be played on the radio. Lastly, “Thanks For the Beautiful Memories” is a beautiful thank you letter to the fans which is very much appreciated and a sweet close to the album.

This album is definitely worth the buy, for yourself and as a gift to a friend. The music and lyrics on this album make for a wonderful play on your way to work, church, and wherever your truck takes you.

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