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Hoobastank made themselves known to the mainstream music world with their number-one hit “Crawling in the Dark.”  Now, the Calabasas band is back with an album full of touching, spiritually relevant lyrics on The Reason.

The first track, “The Same Direction,” is catchy in the same tempo and spirit as “Crawling in the Dark.”  The lyrics cry out against religious people who think they have found the way “to our final destination.”  

Lead singer and songwriter Doug Robb asks a question that Christians have been asked for 2000 years: “So why does there only have to be one correct philosophy? / Why are you always telling me what you want me to believe? / I’d like to think I can go my own way and meet you in the end.”

Aside from this one song, every track on The Reason shares the worldview with many Christians.  The album’s second track, “Out of Control,” is a fast-paced, you’ll-drive-too-fast kind of a song, but the words cry out like a psalm of David: “Where should I go? / What should I do? / I don’t understand what you want from me.”  For Christians, this question comes up quite often.

Songs like “What Happened to Us?” and “Lucky” are slower, emo-tinged rock ballads that are undeniably about human romantic love.  But let’s get back to the fast stuff.

The track “Escape” is a cry to leave the world to be in a place “where we’ll be together … everyday.”  In a broken world, many people of faith long to escape to Heaven, a place where God has promised to dwell with his people.

“Just One” is probably the standout best track on the album.  This song is guitar driven, high tempo, and the kind of song that would be in a movie about sports. The lyrics read: “Just one chance is all I ever wanted / Just one time I’d like to win the game.” 

On Top 40 radio across the country, most are familiar with the title track from The Reason.  The lyrics read like a Matt Redman worship song: “I’ve found the reason for me / to change who I used to be / the reason to start over new / and that reason is you.”  The song is perfect for Sunday mornings.  

It is rare to find an album that is touching in every song.  It is more rare to find that in the secular music realm.  Hoobastank has surpassed their first effort with clean, high-energy, spiritually charged songs.  Christians who are tired of the current crop of Christian rock should definitely check out The Reason.

Marcus Hathcock  7/10/2004