Hoobastank – Push Pull
Release Date: May 25, 2018
Hoobastank is back and better than ever. And believe me, I’m not throwing that phrase out there lightly. The new album ‘Push Pull’, due out on May 25th, is some of the best stuff we’ve heard from the band to date. It still has many of the same ingredients that made them highly successful to begin with. For example, the killer grooves on songs like ‘Hello Again’ and ‘Never Saw It Coming’ are there. The energy of ‘Crawling In The Dark’ and ‘Don’t Tell Me’ are present. The emotions of a song like ‘The Reason’ are all around you on this album.
There is something else happening with the record, though. I love the mixture of the classic Hoobastank sound, a bit of 80’s influence and the use of today’s technology/sound. Partnering with producer Matt Wallace (Faith No More, Deftones, Maroon 5, Andy Grammer), the band has reached a new high with this latest offering.
“We never stopped exchanging musical ideas,” says vocalist/guitarist Doug, who co-founded the band with high school classmates, Dan and Chris, almost 20 years ago in Los Angeles. Of course, about that band name, which means, exactly what?…“Sometimes you make dumb decisions when you’re young, and that might have been one of them,” laughs Robb about being the punchline to SNL jokes and snooty critic snipes. As for the formidable bar-setting success of “The Reason,” Doug is similarly sanguine. “We stopped attempting to recreate any formula,” he says. “We did what made us happy and played to our strengths. Take it or leave it.”
The album opens with ‘Don’t Look Away’. A commentary on today’s world of everyone doing their best sales job presenting themselves to others with pictures or how they look online. The line “if we ever meet we’re both in for a surprise” is probably the truest statement ever. Musically this song grabbed me right away. There is a nice thick bass and kick partnered with guitar strokes that sound like guitarist Dan Estrin may have used something like a Pixel or Silver Apple to attain.
The second song ‘Push Pull’ surprised me a bit. It comes in with Dan’s guitars giving me a nice 80’s Duran Duran/Notorious vibe. The very notable vocals and falsetto from Doug are stellar. Vocally it’s one of my favorite tracks. The backing vocals on the whole album from drummer Chris Hesse and bassist Jesse Charland are great but really soar on this song.
‘More Beautiful’ is the next song on the Push Pull album. This a great track 3. Great hook, great beat, great vocals and that ‘single’ quality. This also gave me D/2 vibes but more recent Duran like ‘All You Need Is Now’. I went back and listened to this track several times before I finished the album, I must confess. It’s so smooth.
Going into this album, I wasn’t aware that they covered the ‘Tears For Fears’ song ‘Head Over Heels’. So when the song started I said to myself.. “ahhh great choice for a cover song”. The band does a tremendous job with this one. The half-time tempo makes the song feel even bigger than it already is. Doug did a great job with the vocals and while he stayed close to the original he brought in his own nuances into the song and gave it that ‘Hoobastank’ flavor.
The fifth song is ‘True Believer’. The song starts with a nice guitar riff that feels fresh and familiar at the same time. The song really expands in the chorus. The poppy subtleties, like hand claps, really work in this song. The next track, ‘Just Let Go (Who Cares If We Fall)’ has that ‘it’ factor in my opinion. This really feels like it should be a single. This song has a nice big anthemic feel to it. I can picture many people singing along to this song at a Hoobastank show.
The next two songs, ‘Better Left Unsaid’ and ‘We Don’t Need The World’ keep the next level sound for Hoobastank moving along. The main guitar in ‘Better’ has such a bitchin’ sound to it. Love Dan’s guitar tone here. ‘World’ is a cool song with a quirky intro that will have you replaying it over and over. It’s definitely a mature point of view of a relationship. One that has its ups and downs but is without a doubt worth saving.
‘Buzzkill’ (Before You Say Goodbye) features some great work by bassist Jesse Charland. Loving the fuzz all around on this song. Also want to point out the pre-chrous as one of my favorite moments on the entire album. It has a great melody before the chorus kicks in.
The second to last song is ‘Fallen Star’. This is my personal favorite song. I’ve listened to it dozens of times and it just seems to get better and better. An emotional song that features lyrics from Doug that were inspired by a memory of him watching television one night and seeing a military family of a soldier who had died in combat. It made him think of the brave men and women who serve and even more so now the parents of those who serve.
‘There Will Never Be Another’ rounds out this impressive album. Hoobastank drummer Chris Hesse has been so solid throughout the album, his technique almost gets lost because he is so steady. On this track I especially love the deep snare and drums that start this song off. Great way to end the album showcasing a nice groove from the band as well as some great hi-hat work from Chris.
Not sure I would call it a new direction but the path that the band is on looks bright ahead. They’ve created a fresh sound. They’ve successfully blended memories from the 80’s and 90’s while remaining current and relevant. Not an easy thing to do.
The new album ‘Push Pull’ will be released May 25, 2018 on Napalm Records.
8.7/10
-Tommy Marz
Follow Tommy & SoundVapors on Twitter.