Hawk Nelson - Letters to the President

Rock That Doesn't Take Itself Too Seriously

Trevor McNeven brought these guys into the Tooth & Nail fold, which is interesting considering there's some real comparisons to Hawk, and TFK side-project FM Static. The result is an improved fusion of both bands, with original Hawk mixed in.

"California," "Someone Else Before," "Letters To The President," "36 Days," are the highlights of the album, with all but the last being great punk rock songs that rival even Releint K, while the latter song is a I-Miss-You ballad, which is sung beautifully, and has great lyrics.

"Like A Racecar" is the only song I didn't like, which sounds way too much like TFK, which could be explained by the presence of McNeven. The song seems very out of place on the album, and could have been saved for another album. But's it's nice the band is trying all forms of rock on the album.

The rest of the album is a mixture of funky punk rock, and some slower songs that don't detract from the album at all, and might even enhance it. Some of the songs are short, but they burst of pure energy that could be compared to MxPx in their style of let the dam flow. Or, let it all out, don't stop.

Overall, a great debut by some rockin' boys from Canada, this is my favorite punk rock CD, and for good reason. The band really does a great job here, and leaves nothing in the open. It's an open and shut case, if you're looking for good rock, this is the CD for you.

As for the deluxe edition. The acoustic versions are good, not exactly for the punk fan, but for the pop/rock fan, buy it. The other two tracks are fillers, Jason Dunn speaking in French? Please, I've seen some pitiful bonus material, but this takes the croissant. The other track you shouldn't buy is the introduction to "My Generation" which tells the basic information about the song. Hawk likes the Who, and they played it on a now cancelled TV show, big deal. The cover is OK, not a big fan of The Who, but hey, it's OK.

I bought this album not having the original album, so I was pleased that I waited. Now, why can't the band keep putting out more bonus material for their new album? Pet peeve maybe, but buy this edition if you don't own the album. If you do, buy the non-useless material off the Amazon MP3 Store.
January 10, 2008

Hawk Nelson Rocks!

Hawk Nelson is incredible! If you like Punk Rock, you MUST Buy this CD! They are the ultimate christian punk rock bad! Check out their other CD "smile its the end of the world" as well. Both Sweet albums. these guys are extremely talented, with fun, upbeat songs. May 3, 2007

Music to walk to

As a college student I spend an overwhelming amount of time treking across my university's campus. Without music to accompany my journeys, I believe I might go insane from all the stress of my classes. Luckily, this album is full of nothing but satisfying music that does well to calm my nerves in between my periods of education. I enjoyed Hawk Nelson's music on this album so much that I went ahead and purchased their other album, Smile it's the End of the World, and was not dissappointed. February 8, 2007

Wow...

I just saw these guys in concert, and they are amazing. I would recommend them to anyone who likes Punkish types of rock, but aren't willing to delve into the dark avenues thereof. If you're wishing to go up on the "Hard Rock Scale for Christian Bands", I would recommend Family Force 5. If you're wishing to go a little softer, I would recommend The Afters. Finally I find a few bands that aren't all the same!!! December 2, 2006

Very Good Debut-A Little Shallow on the Lyrics Side of Things

Well, as Hawk Nelson's first album, I'd have to say it's VERY good. The songs are catchy, fast, and for the most part a good comfortable rock sound that most people should enjoy almost upon putting it in.

The only complaint I have about this CD is the lyrics. While they are fun, and sometimes deeply meaningful, I'm still dissapointed with the lack of God's name in lots of these songs. I would say, (lyric wise) your best bet in Christian "punk" is Stellar Kart, but these lyrics are definately deeper than just about any of Reliant K's "another Christian "punk" band" albums, and for that reason, I think you could do MUCH worse than picking up Letters to the President, as it is a lot of fun. September 18, 2006

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