Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)First, I am not in the expected fan base for Jonas Brothers. Not by a long shot. However, their lyrics are clean and their hooks catchy and the boys aren't hard on the eyes; all of that has me won over before hearing anything else. In their new CD the songs aren't just catchy, they are flat out contagious. If I am not listening, I have found myself singing or humming the songs. Repeatedly. I have to hand it to JB for maturing their sound in the right way. Most "boy bands" go on the extreme of "we're not kids anymore" when they try to branch out their sound. JB has done it right: writing relevant songs to their lives in a sophisticated and mature way. The band boasts a wider variety of instruments and the metaphorical writing suits them wonderfully. Another positive (for me at least) is being able to hear more of Kevin's singing. He's still all harmony but at least you can tell it's him singing. That's not been the case in the songs I've purchased before. Overall, this CD is excellent. It's clear the guys will be around for a while and they and their fans won't be doomed to bubblegum for the duration.
World War III: 4/5 Angsty and fiesty and fun. A bit hard to listen to the first go round because it is so aggressive but by the end you're sold.
Paranoid: 4/5 Their first release from the album. Definitely one you'll find yourself humming when you aren't paying attention. I always think I am sick of it until I hear it again and then I realize that, nope, it's still pretty good.
Fly with me: 5/5 From Night at the Museum 2 and honestly, one of the best tracks. We still get the bubbly and sweet lyrics but the music is something more than just catchy. "Peter Pan and Wendy turned out fine..." lyric just seals the deal for me.
Poison Ivy: 3/5 Most contagious track by far, literally and of course, metaphorically. We all want what isn't good for us but we all hate that we want it. Redundant lyrics but insanely awesome music.
Hey Baby: 3/5 Good but not great. Catchy but not memorable. Filler song for me. (Update: After listening to this song more, I appreciate it more than when I wrote the review. If I had to rate it now, I would actually give it a 4/5. As far as songwriting and performance goes, it's probably a 5 but it just doesn't have the memorable catch that Fly With Me or Turn Right have, so I can't give it a full 5).
Before the Storm: 4/5 Thankfully Miley doesn't over-sing and the writing and performing of this song are tender and sweet. It is clear that Nick and Miley mean every word.
What did I do to your Heart: 5/5 This song is just F-U-N, fun! Love the country influence. The only improvement that could be made is Kevin on a banjo.
Much Better: 4/5 Brilliant. I'm a T.S. fan but what a joy to see her get a dose of her own medicine. While it's never stated to be directed at her, honestly, you can't help but to raise an eyebrow at: "Got a rep for breaking hearts/ Now I'm done with superstars/ and all the tears on her guitar/ I'm not bitter..." Really been waiting for Joe to get some sort of say in the matter and this satisfies me completely. My only issue with this song is that it doesn't need a horn and guitar solo both. I'm sure it will be great live, but too much for the CD. (Update, I did see JB live, with my daughter this summer. It wasn't their full set since they were actually only headlining a city celebration. They did play this song and I have to admit, I didn't notice the horn and guitar solo being as cumbersome as it was on the CD. Either they trimmed it, or it was just so amazing live that I didn't have time to notice it. It really does play better live.)
Black Keys: 5/5 Nick's experiment with writing on the black keys of the piano. Hauntingly beautiful melody is the result and the lyrics are typical, tender Nick.
Don't Charge me for the Crime: 2/5 Like WWIII, it takes a listen or two but then you can appreciate it. Complete metaphor for how far you should or shouldn't go to help a friend (are people actually taking the lyrics seriously?) Clearly an experiment and here you see(hear) some growing pains.
Turn Right: 5/5 My absolute personal favorite on the entire CD. The all acoustic suits them so well when they let themselves commit to it completely. Kevin played piano on this at the Wal-mart sound check concert but doesn't get any listing on the CD for it, so I don't know if he recorded the piano, but if so, it's cool to hear him play other instruments.
Don't Speak: 3/5 They say they wrote it in the vein of U2, Kings of Leon, Mutemath and some others. I hear U2 all over it the most. Not my favorite song but an absolute cross-over to my age bracket (mid-30s) if they were aiming for that. Definitely a slower paced song for them as far as story telling and theme. Will do well though on radio play if they choose to release it.
Keep it Real: 4/5 Bonus track from their sitcom. Classic JB, catchy and a little kitchy but absolutely fun.
Completely worth every penny whether you're 12 or 32.
Update: Even though very few of their songs actually rated the full 5 stars for me, the album as a whole is a great package, which is why I gave it 5 stars. Sometimes breaking it apart piece by piece you can see the chinks in the armor, but over all, 3 months later, I am still listening to this entire album almost daily -- not as a teenager, but a much older than these guys adult. That alone should hold up any 5 star rating in my book.
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Lines, Vines and Trying Times showcases an incredible musical journey by the Jonas Brothers, as well as their growth as songwriters and musicians.They've incorporated horns into several songs, as well as harmonicas and peddle steel guitars.The first single, "Paranoid," is a guitar driven dance evoking song, and the entire CD is a veritable smorgasbord of pop and rock gems."World War III" is a funk metaphor for a confrontational relationship.Written by Nick Jonas, he asserts, "This is a personal experience for me.`World War III' deals with the challenge of a girl who keeps attacking you, provoking you, trying to fight you, but all the while she's the only one fighting.""Fly With Me" which is also the end title credit for the upcoming "Night At The Museum 2" film (due in theaters May 22), was written by Jonas Brothers and their bass player Greg Garbowsky, and is sure to become a love song for the ages.On "Poison Ivy" Jonas Brothers added a horn section.In their summer music preview issue, Rolling Stone described the ultracatchy "Poison Ivy" as a "Weezer-ish tune about a toxic girl that you can't resist.""Hey Baby" is a classic "she done him wrong" song written entirely by Jonas Brothers."We wrote this song for the last record while on the road and felt the old school sound was more cohesive with our present style," explains Nick Jonas.With all these themes, it's easy to see how Jonas Brothers came up with the title Lines, Vines and Trying Times.Says Joe Jonas, "Lines are the "proverbial" lines people will feed you, and vines are obstacles that get in your way."Adds Kevin Jonas, "Trying Times can be relationships, or anything personal to you.No one is alone in that; we all go through it."
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