In 2002, Hoobastank rapidly found themselves in the limelight, as much for their name as their enthusiastic spin on modern rock. With songs as easy to digest as a supermodel's dinner, the group quickly became the new "It" band of the moment with their eponymous debut, and before one knew it, you could detect their familiar sound emanating from not only your local rock station but also soft drink commercials and movie trailers. With such sudden success, the band were faced with the challenge to once again enter the studio and somehow recreate that phenomenon. Rather than repeat what they had done before, Hoobastank have tried to overcome the sophomore curse that affects numerous bands, as they branch out to capture more heartfelt ballads and emotional overloads with "The Reason".

It appears that Hoobastank chose to challenge themselves to a greater extent this time around, stretching their abilities to capture sullen emotional rock with a more organic touch. Such is the case with the rambling "Escape", a song in which Dan Estrin's acoustic guitar could have been lifted straight from a Tantric song; while the lackadaisical "Lucky" is heavy on the sentimentality and ineffectual in actually drawing the listener in. This soft rock approach isn't always as awkward however; the album's title track is a surprisingly touching love song that accentuates Douglas Robb's vocal abilities and is enhanced by the rising string arrangement and low-key instrumentation.

The band do offer songs that pander to their accelerated rock strengths, as "Same Direction" continues in the same vein that "Crawling In The Dark" was powered by, but even when delivering such adrenalized cuts something feels missing. Tunes like "Out Of Control" and "Let It Out" also seem to be cut from the same cloth as the group's older hits, yet the crunchy production accompanying them reduces what could have possibly been album highlights to sounding like work-in-progress demos. While this rawer vibe may have been intended to reflect the band's live sound, it just doesn't seem to be that endearing and instead leaves these songs feeling unfinished. The album does end on a more positive note, as the deliberate pace set on "Unaffected" works quite well and builds to an atmospheric yet moody chorus, while "Never There" brings the upbeat surge of catchy guitar riffs and dynamic vocals that made Hoobastank a known entity in the rock world.

Considering the success of their Island Records debut and their saturation of modern rock radio, it is a bit perplexing to be faced with the group's follow-up album. Hoobastank previously cemented themselves as astute pop/rock protagonists, adeptly writing simplistic songs adorned with infectiously addictive hooks. As such, one would naturally assume that the formula used at that time would carry over with the band. Unfortunately the group have opted to strive for more elaborate endeavors, severely fragmenting their proven designs with lofty intentions to somehow up the ante with their sophomore effort. More often than not this leaves the results feeling disjointed, lacking the energetic flair that made their past material so pleasing to the ear. Sophomore albums are notoriously difficult for many bands, and respect must be given to the band for having the courage to try and expand on the step-by-step formula of their self-titled debut. But their desire to record a thicker, more personal album has resulted in a meager collection of average rock songs reliant on soul-baring sensitivity rather than the fluid alt. rock album many had hoped for. Hoobastank clearly had their own reasons to create such an album, but for fans accustomed to instant satisfaction, this uneven release may not catch their attention.