5/31/2023 0 Comments Hanson this time around cd![]() They haven't lost these gifts, even if the tempered production and overly earnest perf``ormances occasionally make the band's classicist instincts sound stuffy. They can, but so what? Jams and instrumental interludes are not the reason to listen to Hanson, records that sparkle with effervescent melodies and joyous hooks is. Not only are the performances measured and the production restrained, but the album features cameos by virtuosos like John Popper and Jonny Lang, just to prove that Hanson can hang with the big boys. Much of This Time Around feels like a conscious attempt at furthering their craft, defining their sound, and honing their songwriting skills. Problem is, you can occasionally hear them working at it. Hanson winds up synthesizing its influences - still primarily classic pop tunes from the late '60s and early '70s, staples of oldies radio - into a bright, melodic sound of its own. This Time Around doesn't ditch the musical principles laid out on Middle of Nowhere - it expands them. ![]() ![]() ![]() Give Hanson credit for making a second album (not counting live affairs, demo collections, and holiday records) that virtually ignores the teen-pop boom they kick-started in 1997 with their debut album, Middle of Nowhere.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |