Live Life Loud!

Personnel: Jenn Helvering, Jason Dunn (vocals); Steve Wilson (guitar, percussion, programming, background vocals); Jonathan Steingard (guitar); Zach Casebolt (violin); Justin Saunders (cello); Todd Boswell (bagpipe); Justin Benner (drums).
Audio Mixer: Steve Wilson.
Recording information: Legion of Boom, Nashville, TN; Qaud Studios, Nashville, TN.
Photographer: Caleb Kuhl.
Hawk Nelson have made a pretty good career out of being nice guys with a penchant for huge hooks and fresh-faced emo pop with an emphasis on the pop side of things. The band's fourth album, LIVE LIFE LOUD! shows the band adding more ballads and midtempo tunes to the their repertoire, though there are still plenty of their usual uplifting rockers here. The band kick the album off on a high note as the title track and the ripping "Never Enough" burst with energy and joy. They continue to ride peppy Christian lightning on the giddily poppy "Long Ago" and the surprisingly angry "The Job" (which ends up sounding like a punk-pop version of the Replacements somehow). When they bring the energy levels way down, the band also show themselves to be pretty good mainstream pop/rock balladeers, respectable country crooners on the heartfelt, and happily worshipful bagpipers. LIVE LIFE LOUD! is another excellent outing from one of the better CCM-pop bands around.