by Reggie Edwards
Christian mainstays Hawk Nelson’s first record without longtime frontman Jason Dunn,
Made, is set to release April 2 and sees the band take a new approach.
Made sees the band move away from their signature punk-based sound and move toward a more pop rock sound. It’s not a bad thing, though. It works well and is a direction they started to take on their last release,
Crazy Love.
Operating now as a three-piece band rather than finding a new singer, lead vocals now fall upon guitarist Jonathan Steingard, who does an exceptional job with the new role. One would think he’s been doing this for awhile now.
Lyrically, this is one of Hawk Nelson’s strongest releases, with a great message as always. Musically, the band sounds as good as ever and it’s almost like Dunn’s departure as made them stronger.
Made is definitely a different type of Hawk Nelson album and they sound like a completely different band. Longtime fans will either love this album or not like it at all but there’s no doubt Hawk Nelson will find a new collection of fans as well.
Rating: 7/10