Hawk Nelson – Smile, It’s The End Of The World

CD REVIEW

In the world of Christian rock, Hawk Nelson reside somewhere between Relient K and Switchfoot. The pop punk sound of previous albums has now taken on a certain edge, recalling the likes of Fall Out Boy and fellow Canadians Simple Plan, without losing the sense of exuberance, such as that of the chant-and-response on “Bring ‘Em Out”.

The stand-out tracks on this competent album are “Everything You Ever Wanted”, a touching song about parental abandonment, and “Zero”, about a friend’s suicide, which reveal a more mature side to the band which, after all, is partly named after skateboard hero Tony Hawks.

Few of the songs on this set are explicitly Christian; most are about girls and partying.

The trick here is that Christian themes such as prayer are being casually introduced as an integral part of life.

This, therefore, is not much of a worship album, but one that communicates a Christian lifestyle in an affirming and fresh way.

Listen to: Everything You Ever Wanted; Zero; Something On My Mind; The Show; Head On Collision; Hello.