Review of Every Man For HimselfIsland Album by Hoobastank
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
Site - http://www.hoobastank.com
