HANSON
This Time Around (Island)
Rating: 6 out of 7
By Ken Micallef

Say what you will about Hanson's girlish looks, sweet-16 harmonies and squealing fans, these blue-eyed blond brothers can sing and play as well as any white band working. Sure, their youthful energy is so brash and over-the-top it could melt sugar, but Hanson are consummate professionals, with roots that go back to three-part harmonizers like Three Dog Night, a soulful swing that recalls Hall & Oates, a little country lilt, and a command of their instruments that is laudable in an age of manufactured boy bands and sequencer pop. With This Time Around Hanson continue to rock the playground with super funk rockers, gushing piano ballads, Latinized power pop, and sunny rock and roll. Hanson use climbing instrumental crescendoes and swelling, emotional choruses to great effect, and with their voices firmly pass puberty (well, almost), the music has a bigger bite than ever before. The bouncy "If Only" is harmonized from start to finish, with a killer chorus that is the essence of summer fun. "Runaway Run" rips the guitar lick from The Car's "Best Friend's Girl," its irrepressible melody and chorus worthy of the Eagles or perhaps Fleetwood Mac in their prime. The album steamrolls ahead with "Can't Stop," which lifts the groove from "Mmbbbopp"(SPSPELLING?)," but is closer to Sly & the Family Stone than the Osmonds. So you are still not won over? Put on This Time Around and try to remain passive or ignore the contagious melodies and vocals. Can you do it? Well, can you, punk??! Nah. Thought so.