Backstreet's back, true to its background

The Boys are unfortunately still boys, not men, on Unbreakable.

By Juana Summers

Published Nov. 2, 2007

Those expecting a more mature, evolved band on the Backstreet Boys' new release are getting exactly the opposite of what they asked for. The band has moved in some different directions.

Original member Kevin Richardson is now gone, and Brian Littrell has taken to releasing solo Christian albums, but these changes haven't affected the band's sugary, late-'90s sound. These boys are still straight pop.

Unbreakable makes listeners feel as though they're trapped inside a perpetual middle school slow dance, which really isn't a good thing.

The band's self-titled 1997 release, followed by 1999's Millennium and 2000's Black & Blue caught on because they offered something new and catchy with each subsequent release. Preteens could sing along (and gyrate rather disturbingly), and even moms could get down to the Boys' original hits.

The songs here don't really make a connection with fans, which is the album's biggest shortfall.

Unbreakable doesn't shine in its own right, and instead is selling only because we miss the Boys and want them back. Sometimes, nostalgia is worth

everything.

But we got what we asked for. Backstreet's back, but is it right? While former *NSYNC-er Justin Timberlake can carry an R&B crossover sound, the Backstreet Boys seem unable to do so, making some tracks fall flat.

"Panic" has a strong beat behind the lyrics but nothing else redeeming to add to it. The guitar gets repetitive to the point of annoyance, and the drums just aren't enough to cover it up.

"Inconsolable" sounds exactly like 2005's fellow comeback single "Incomplete" both in cadence and in lyrics.

Sure, feeling lost without a lover is a common sentiment in all pop music, but the same band (minus Richardson, of course) making the same exact song several years later is unacceptable. "Something That I Already Know" is strong, insomuch that it doesn't seem to be forced into the prepubescent mold so common to the decade-old boy band. The strength of this track makes it evident that the Boys have to grow up along with their fans. To put it simply, we're not in junior high, and dance-infused girlish pop beats no longer do it.

"Unsuspecting Sunday Afternoon" and "Love Will Keep You Up All Night" are poorly shaped ballads that are too wordy and drag far too much. They almost fall captive to the 90s ballad style that fans are used to but seem trapped between adolescent lust and mature love. The awkwardness just doesn't work.

Fast forward to 2007, and the Backstreet Boys need to become real men in order to make a difference. Unbreakable would be better off titled Breakdown. Looks like it's back to failed solo attempts and reality television for the Backstreet Boys. Now if only *NSYNC would stage its long overdue comeback...