Hoobastank

Hoobastank

Island Records

Take one look at Hoobastank frontman Douglas Robb and you’ll swear he was the younger brother of Incubus’ Brandon Boyd. From the fly-away hair to his moves on stage, right down to his voice, Robb embodies every aspect that has made Boyd a superstar in recent years. Take one listen to Hoobastank’s debut album and you’ll probably declare the band a blatant Incubus rip-off. But I assure you, there is more musical substance to this record than may appear on the surface. In fact, Hoobastank is everything Incubus’ Morning View should have been and more.

The edge, the hard-rock sound that lacked in Incubus’ effort can be found within the confines of Hoobastank. Now, it may take a bit of an effort to overlook the fact that the band made a poor choice in the name-selection area, but regardless, this California quartet proves that it knows a thing or two about producing well-crafted rock tunes. “Crawling in the Dark,” the opening track and first single, starts with a nu-metal intro, then hits a super-catchy chorus; immediately, the Incubus resemblance is obvious. The breakdown chorus of “Remember Me” surrounded by heavy guitar riffs upholds the energy of the first track, but then mellows out a bit for the acoustic intro of “Running Away,” which is one of the best songs on the album. But then the power returns with the aggressive “Pieces” and “Give It Back.” Another standout is “Better,” claiming the smoothest chorus on the CD and demonstrating the bands musical talent as a whole. Other tracks like “Let You Know,” “Too Little Too Late” and “Hello Again” continue the trend for killer songs and make Hoobastank a well-rounded effort.

For a major-label debut, Hoobastank contains all of the components to be a big success, so long as radio continues to spread the good word. With such an impressive start, the future for the band looks sunnier than the California beaches it calls home. And to the credit of Hoobastank, these boys produced a record worthy of Incubus acclaim, and they did it without resorting to employing the now-cliche DJ.

Leah Weinberg

Related Links:
Official Website