Hoobastank - Every Man For HimselfIsland Album Review

Rating: 3 out of 5

Hoobastank
Every Man For Himself
Island
Album Sampler

In the summer of 2004, California trio Hoobastank gate crashed the UK charts with their brilliantly overblown power-ballad "The Reason", and have since disappeared under a rock. Whilst they remain relatively unknown on these shores, back home they have a slightly greater profile, which has been recognised with three Grammy nominations.

The four tracks found on this sampler are of varying style, with "If I Were You" a lesser cousin of their breakthrough hit. Doug Robb proves to have an alluring vocal style, all backed by sweeping strings and a standard big chorus. Beginning in a similar manner, "Don't Tell Me" has a soft edge, before the shouting and power chords take over, but is undermined by painfully clichéd lyrics. The snippet of "The First Of Me" hints at a potentially huge track, while the clip of "Born To Lead" has a military vibe and catchy riff. Indications are that "Every Man For Himself" could be a decent, if unchallenging, album.

Alex Lai

3/5