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Backstreet Boys Sound Grows Up
With no Justin Timberlake opting for solo success at the expense of the group, the Backstreet Boys continue on, delivering their fifth studio album, Unbreakable.
The departure of Kevin Richardson has turned the Backstreet Boys into a quartet, but the absence doesn't leave a noticeable hole in Unbreakable. These 14 songs are built on ensemble harmonies that showcase the strength of the unit more than individual members.
Big choruses, such as the one that powers the single "Inconsolable," will please fans of the group's signature pop hits. Gone are the prominent guitars that attempted to give a rock edge to 2005's Never Gone. If anything, the group has gone too far the other direction here, opting for midtempo ballads that seem strangely faceless.
"Something That I Already Know" makes the listener work too hard to find the hook, especially compared with catchy hits such as "As Long As You Love Me." A few more upbeat songs to enliven the pace would be nice.
A swaying rhythm track on "Panic" is a welcome change. Even when the voices rise together on the big chorus, the song is frisky and lean, an approach that might have been tried more often.
Likewise, it's the voices that shine in the surprisingly soulful "You Can Let Go," maybe the album's most impressive update of the BSB sound.
A few more bold chances would have made Unbreakable more than merely a pleasant collection of somewhat anonymous-sounding ballads.
Even so, it's clear that the four remaining members still work together skillfully enough to be a boy band when they're all grown up.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/music/orl-rec02a07nov02,0,4191080.story
With no Justin Timberlake opting for solo success at the expense of the group, the Backstreet Boys continue on, delivering their fifth studio album, Unbreakable.
The departure of Kevin Richardson has turned the Backstreet Boys into a quartet, but the absence doesn't leave a noticeable hole in Unbreakable. These 14 songs are built on ensemble harmonies that showcase the strength of the unit more than individual members.
Big choruses, such as the one that powers the single "Inconsolable," will please fans of the group's signature pop hits. Gone are the prominent guitars that attempted to give a rock edge to 2005's Never Gone. If anything, the group has gone too far the other direction here, opting for midtempo ballads that seem strangely faceless.
"Something That I Already Know" makes the listener work too hard to find the hook, especially compared with catchy hits such as "As Long As You Love Me." A few more upbeat songs to enliven the pace would be nice.
A swaying rhythm track on "Panic" is a welcome change. Even when the voices rise together on the big chorus, the song is frisky and lean, an approach that might have been tried more often.
Likewise, it's the voices that shine in the surprisingly soulful "You Can Let Go," maybe the album's most impressive update of the BSB sound.
A few more bold chances would have made Unbreakable more than merely a pleasant collection of somewhat anonymous-sounding ballads.
Even so, it's clear that the four remaining members still work together skillfully enough to be a boy band when they're all grown up.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/music/orl-rec02a07nov02,0,4191080.story