The other day, I was wandering around Best Buy, and I decided to pick up the latest release from Hoobastank. The Reason is their second outing. I kind of liked their first release, so I thought I'd give this a shot (particularly since Best Buy was loss leadering them at $9.99).

This CD stays within the same vein as the first album, and that's neither good nor bad. On the one hand, they stay true to the sound that won them their fans the first go 'round; on the other hand, they aren't showing all that much growth.

Highlights:

• Out Of Control — a high energy, with some vocal treatment that reminds me of Linkin Park.
• What Happened To Us? — a good tune, well built with interesting melodic structure. I can hear some jazz influences in both the drum and bass line during the intro and vocal section.
• From The Heart — actually, the song doesn't do all that much for me, but the drum line was rhythmically interesting, so I can dig that part, at least
• The Reason — the song is okay, but what I'm enjoying the two part harmonies that are throughout the tune.
• Never There — good groove, nice two part harmonies again.

Some not-so-high-lights:

• Escape — shades of the eighties with a seventies rock disco drumline thrown in to complete the muddle.
• Just One — kind of a punkish song. It's almost as if Estrin (the writer of the music) turned on the radio one day, heard Blink 182/Green Day/SR 71 and thought, "I can do that".
• Let It Out — "who cares if you don't like it". Well, now that you've told me you don't care that I don't like it, I suppose you won't be all that hurt when I say this is probably the weakest tune on the album.

This was a pretty decent rock album. Their vocal harmonies probably serve to be their strong suit, and they use them to the furthest extent they can.