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Backstreet's Back! And They're Here To Stay

Josephll | CET | 10/30/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Backstreet Boys was the most popular boyband in the world for a while in the mid/late 90's, the only other band that could really challenge them was N'sync. Outsold tours, 10x Platinum albums and screaming fans on every airport was their weekday. But most boybands are shortlived. The members grew up, and so does the fans and eventually they all value other things in life and are ready to move on. NKOTB, Take That, N'sync all disbanded and few of their membes were able to succeed as solo artists (Robbie Williams and Justin Timberlake being exceptions). When backsteet Boys released their compilation album "The Hits: Chapter One" in 2001 evil tongues would say that they would't be back and that it would have been better titled "The Final Chapter". Nick Carter also tried a solo project with mixed results one year after and it looked like the hope of a new Backstreet Boys album was small. Then, in 2005 after a few years of hiatus the band surprised everyone when they announced that they were recording a new studio album (their first in 5 years). "Never Gone" was released in 2005, and it clearly demonstrated a change in direction, the pretty dance pop songs were replaced with ballads and rock songs and it showed minimum hints of a past as a boyband. It evenbtually sold 10 Million copies world wide but the only big hit was the powerballad "Incomplete". While the album's content was expected from a band of grown up men closer to 30 then 20 it also left alot to be desired if you liked their catchy Max Martin produced 90's sound. 2 Years later the boys with their 6th studio album called "Unbreakable". Is it more edgy Rock or does it show signs of their past? Read on to find out.



When "Unbreakable" was recorded, Kevin Richardson decided to call it quit, leaving the band number to 4. As a whole it doesn't have big effect on the overall sound cause Kevin was just singing backround vocals and was never that influentual anyway. The sound seems to be more of a hybrid this time, most songs end up being Rock-pop or ballads but they haven't completely forgot about their past and a few songs are quite surprisingly catchy dance-pop. The boys seems to have bigger impact of this album aswell cause they're involved in the song writing proccess on several of the songs. Producers include John Shanks, Dan Muckula, Emanuel Kiriakou and JC Chasez from N'ync that put the old rivalry in a quarantine to help them out with the sound. To try to sum up this album in the best of ways, let's start with the first single "Inconsolable" that is a ballad simular to what "Incomplete" from their last album was. It's really good and already climbing on the charts. "Something that I Already Know" is simular, a midtempo-ballad with great melody and hook that could be a hit. 3 more decent ballads are "Helpless When She Smiles", "Unmistakable" and "Unsuspecting Sunday Afternoon" while "You Can't Let Go" is a classic piano ballad and "Love Will Keep You Up All Night" sounds like Westlife pop. On the midtempo rocker "Trouble Is" they sing that "there's a part of me that still can't let go of a memory / Love is what the trouble is" it ends up being quite good. "Any Other Way" is new wave rock with a fresh sound and "Panic and "One In a Million" are Maroon 5 ish R&B-rock. Let's save the best for last, "Everything But Mine" is a back to back 90's pop anthem that wouldn't have been wrong if inluded on "Black and Blue", the last song "Treat Me Right" produced by JC Chasez is also a uptempo dance-pop song but with trendier production. Both these 2 songs are surprisingly good and serves as a memory flash back to their brightest days in the 90's.



Overall, Backsteet Boys may never experience screaming fans inside of airports any more or journalists intervening in their private lifes anymore but maybe that is a good thing afterall cause they are all grown men by now and it was almost 10 years ago at their peak. But apart from countless of other boybands that disband to try solo careers, Backstreet Boys stuck together as a unit and emancipated themselves from greedy managers, grew up and developed as musicians with several writing credits here and a sound that is more suitable for a bunch of guys around 30. For the more I listen to "Unbreakable" I like it more and more and think that the title makes alot of sense if you look at a band that never gave up. I don't think it will sell as good as their dance-pop albums at their peak but there's plenty of great songs here like "Inconsoalble", "Something That I Already Know", "Treat Me Right" and "You Can't Let Go" to mention a few. This is a band that still sticks around, and I think it's even slightly better then "Never Gone" with a sound that is more diverse. If you liked it, this one is recommended aswell.





"

And then there were four

Amanda Richards | Georgetown, Guyana | 11/02/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Five little Backstreet Boys, not youngsters anymore

Kevin went off on his own, and then there were four

Four little Backstreet Boys, hopefully unbreakable

Though less than what they started with, they still sound unmistakable





This album is a welcome return for the matured though down-sized Backstreet Boys, one of the surviving groups of the mighty boy band era. Still firmly entrenched in the mainstream pop genre, this album does not disappoint, with several tracks that merit being released as singles.



First single "Inconsolable" is typical BSB, and is very similar to "Incomplete", the hit single from their last album. Other tracks to note are the upbeat "Everything But Mine", "Any Other Way", and the reggae influenced "One in a Million" and "Panic".



Of course there are the trademark BSB ballads like "Something That I Already Know", "Love Will Keep You Up All Night", "Unmistakable", and bonus tracks "Downpour" and "In Pieces" to keep ballad-lovers swooning. Another interesting track is "Treat Me Right" written by A.J. McLean of BSB and J.C. Chasez formerly of `N Sync.



A track I REALLY like is "Helpless When She Smiles", especially the chorus, which goes "I'm a house of cards in a hurricane / A reckless ride in the pouring rain", and with fourteen tracks and two bonus tracks, you're sure to find a favorite too.



Recommended for fans of mainstream radio-friendly pop music.







Amanda Richards, November 2, 2007

"

Backstreet - Another Level

Cory T. Shaeffer | Pittsburgh | 10/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It has been more than a hot minute since this band was at the top of their commercial peak, but their creative peak may have just turned the corner. Most of the album is what you would expect from this group, some dance numbers mixed in with pop ballads. The difference here is that all of these songs have hooks. This is twice the album of their 2005 comeback "Never Gone," despite losing a member their vocals sound better than ever. The lead single "Inconsolable" manages to develop a killer hook just as good as their earlier smash hits although it sounds a little like it is from the late 1990's. Some of the more impressive tracks sound a little more innovative and contemporary. Using the term "innovative" to describe an aging boy band is not something I would usually do, but witness the closing track "Unsuspecting Sunday Afternoon" and its Beatlesque arrangements and pitch-perfect harmonies, and while these "boys" may not have reinvented the wheel, they have reinvented themselves. Everyone grows up, but this group is aging quite gracefully."