We’re barely over three months into 2018, and the year has so far been chock-full of surprises of every variety. So in that spirit, dear reader, I am going to utter a sentence so thoroughly unexpected that you may not have seen it spoken OR written in well over a decade. And the sentence is: “The new Hoobastank single is pretty good!”
Yes, THAT Hoobastank. The multi-platinum Southern California band that made a name for itself in the early-aughts with massive rock radio hits like “The Reason”, “Crawling in the Dark”, and “Running Away” has returned. I promise this is not an elaborate ruse, nor is it a late April Fools’ joke… Rather, the band’s new single “More Beautiful” sees the four-piece dramatically overhauling their sound for a new musical era, trading out hard rock angst for groovy dance-floor funk, with shockingly pleasing results. Lead singer Doug Robb proves that his vocals never got enough credit in Hoobastank’s heyday, with his falsetto croons demonstrating a versatility only hinted in their previous work.
Hoobastank’s first album in six years, Push Pull, is out on May 25th via Napalm Records, and promises to deliver one of the most genuinely surprising comebacks in rock music this year.
