For(n)ever

Hoobastank has got the second breath

The American post-grunge command Hoobastank was founded in the suburbs of Los Angeles called Agoura Hills in the beginning of 1994, when soloist Dough Robb and guitarist Dan Estrin met at the local bands competition. Later, they were joined by the other collective members – bassist Markku Lappalainen and drummer Chris Hesse. Later, the place of the bassist was taken by other musicians twice, and finally it was given to Jess Charland. In 1998, the artists recorded and self-released the disc with the lengthy title They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To. They did not become stars, but caught the attention in their native state and soon became the participants of all big local concerts. At that period, Hoobastank were prolific with their saxophone section, played by Jeremy Wasser. The musicians caught the eye of the local label Island and singed to it. The heads of the label decided that the saxophone sounded not in place on the discs of Hoobastank, and the band parted Wasser. In November 2001, they recorded their second self-titled album, remembered by the listeners for the hits Crawling In The Dark and Running Away. The follow-up The Reason fastened the success of the collective – the titling track of the disc played a special role in it, as it was featured on the soundtrack of the famous sitcome Friends. However, the next release Every Man For Himself got the golden status in the USA, although it was not as recognized as the previous Hoobastank’s works. The musicians took a break after this record in order to get to condition. In early 2009, they finished the new album For(N)ever.

Soul-grasping ballads are the strongest places of For(N)ever

The band Hoobastank is well-known for the lyrical rock compositions about love and arena anthems, which are able to shake the stadiums. Such tracks can be easily noted as the leading ones on For(N)ever. However, the artists did not lose their grasp for up-tempo rock songs. The disc opens with the powerful, energetic lead single My Turn, which symbolizes the bans’ return to its rock roots of the early two releases. It also gives us the example of the new sound by Hoobastank – sharp and post-grunge, sometimes raw and bold. The piercing composition I Don´t Think I Love You starts with the hooky blues riff and is dedicated to the end of relations. Dough Robb songs that sometimes people whom we love drastically change and become absolutely different from what they were – in this case, parting comes inevitably. The outrageous track So Close So Far can be called the pacifistic speech by the musicians, targeted at the people. It is written about the war in Iraq and the hard need to leave you beloved and the peaceful life. The alt-rock ballad All About You is sure to hit the female part of the Hoobastank auditory, especially the teens. Tears Of Yesterday is one of the most unusual tracks on the disc. Built around the piano party by Estrin, it is immediately noticed for its strings arrangement and the sounding, nostalgic of 80s. The slow arena hymn You´re The One has a big chorus and was written by Robb about his making a proposal to his wife.

The return to the roots

The new disc by Hoobastank with the original title For(N)ever has the new sound, first of all – the sound, with which the artists hopped on the big scene and reached their popularity. However, this sound means more – it seems to give back the endless energy Hoobastank had in the past and lost on the previous releases. Well, it seems that the musicians really had to take a break and have a good rest. The new power strikes like a spring from For(N)ever. The creativity of alt-rockers now can be compared to the works of such rock scene veterans as U2, Coldplay and Portishead – actually, these are all the bands that the Hoobastank members admire. Nevertheless, one should also appreciate the wonderful producing work by Howard Benson. Along with his collaboration with Hoobastank, he is mostly credited for producing My Chemical Romance, Reliant K and Flyleaf. Besides, the listeners will be surely interested in the fact that Beck’s father David Campbell worked over the arrangement of one track. Well, the disc For(N)ever impresses. It balances on the brink between the classical post-grunge with its garage sounding and the radio-friendly cheesy pop rock, while the disc it self is stuck with potential hits. It seems like For(N)ever can propel the career of Hoobastank.