When you think of Backstreet Boys, what immediately springs to mind? Their great debut single -amazingly enough, over five years ago!- 'We've Got It Goin' On'? The fantastic video which accompanied the single 'Backstreet's Back'? Both brilliant, pure pop songs - with just a little bit of attitude. Unfortunately, not much on this album comes close to reaching such perfection.
Things start promisingly enough with 'The Call'. An 'Oops! I Did It Again' style song where the Boys appear to be telling us, that, you know what? They're not that innocent.
Their image, too, has become more and more reminiscent of Donnie Wahlberg rather than Gary Barlow - a good thing, obviously. It kind of makes you hope for a Jimmy Page or Ozzy Osbourne collaboration, but, alas, you won't find it here.
Instead, the hired hands featured here are rent-a-hit Rodney Jerkins and Babyface. The Jerkins produced track 'Shining Star' is OK - pretty typical RnB fare, all staccato guitar plucking and jerky drum beats. But the lyrics are pretty awful- "You're my shining star, that is what you are, ooh yeah baby"- you know the sort! This, incedently is co- written by Nick and Howie from BSB. The Boys all have a go on co-writing on this, their fourth album.
'Get Another Boyfriend' is endearingly daft, and 'Everyone' is a fun enough sing-along song. Unfortunately, over a third of the songs on this album are ballads, and most of them are fillers at that. The two standouts being the Babyface produced, real tear-jerker 'More Than That' and 'Shape Of My Heart' (heart-shaped, surely?). The thing is, though, if you want ballads, wouldn't you go out and buy a Westlife album and be done with it?
At the end of the day Backstreet Boys have sold in excess of 50 million albums, won countless awards (including Best Band at the recent MTV Europe awards- the only boy band shortlisted, if memory serves) and they will bounce back from this not-so-strong album, which will probably sell a few million regardless.
Hopefully the next album will be a bit more of a return to form.
Buy 'Black And Blue' HERE.
