Teen heartthrobs the Jonas Brothers are a lot closer to Hanson than they are to fellow Disney-groomed stars like Miley Cyrus and Hilary Duff, and thus their third album, A Little Bit Longer, sounds more like the work of an organically formed group of musicians than the product of a prefab pop factory. Like Hanson, the Jonases are three male siblings who grew up in a religious household in middle America; all three sing, play instruments and contribute to songwriting, even if they have a little help on the latter two fronts; and right now at least, they’re known as much (if not more) for their looks as they are for their music.
More
- Beyond the Weekly
- Jonas Brothers
- Jonas Brothers on Billboard.com
Longer, then, is not as musically accomplished as Hanson’s recent albums, nor is it as steeped in old-fashioned rock n’ roll. It is, however, a relentlessly fun, upbeat pop-rock album that shows some of the same kind of potential that “MMMBop” did a decade ago, even if it’s not quite there yet. The Jonases’ guitar-based music is pretty similar to loads of other pop-punk crowding radio and TV these days, the main difference being how clean-cut and wholesome it is. There’s no bid for maturity here, no attempt to be taken seriously. Lead vocalists Nick and Joe sing about girls they have crushes on, girls who’ve broken their hearts, even a girl who only wants them for their fame (“Video Girl,” the album’s single moment of cynicism).
The album’s highlights are the fast, catchy tracks full of “na-na-na” choruses; as is usually the case with current teen pop, the ballads tend to drown in treacle and reveal the emotional immaturity of the songwriting. But moments like the snap of “Video Girl” or the laid-back acoustic chill of “Lovebug” point to a band that could very well be on its way to a more sustained career than most of its peers.
The bottom line: ***
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy