CD Review: The Jonas Brothers, 'A Little Bit Longer'

JONAS BROTHERS' WORLD DOMINATION kicks into high gear Aug. 12 as the Disney-backed New Jersey trio of Joe, Kevin and Nick releases its third album, "A Little Bit Longer."

There's no question that it will be a mega-hit and the Brothers will leave the realm of mere tween idols and enter the stratosphere of pop superstars. Ubiquitousness is inevitable. So it's nice that the music is more than tolerable.

The Brothers — who write their own songs — don't make things too complicated. They can craft a catchy chorus, and all but one song — the title track, a diabetes ballad (really) — has a lyrical focus on girls. That's been the formula for a good pop song since before even the Jonas' parents were born.

"A Little Bit Longer" is considerably crunchier than fellow brothers trio Hanson's breakout album more than a decade ago, but it also has a very '80s feel thanks to the layered production and general sense of Rated PG-ness that has disappeared from even the most teen-focused entertainment.

Hollywood Records did not provide advance copies of "A Little Bit Longer," so it's possible I missed some nuances while listening to MTV.com's "leak" over laptop speakers. Additionally, I'm unable to comment on the CDVU+ content, which apparently includes performance videos and "60 printable photos" except to say I suspect there are probably some ascots involved.

The Bros start off with a couple of comparatively saucy offerings. "BB Good" is punchy power pop reminiscent of a less libidinal Knack, featuring abundant riffs that are as catchy as they are big and dumb. Throw in some vocal harmonies, as well as both hand claps and tambourine, and you've got a legitimate earworm.

The first single, "Burnin' Up," showcases the band's funkier instincts, even incorporating a cowbell during the breakdown. The song loses some momentum when the Brothers' bodyguard makes an unfortunate rap cameo, but it seems destined to inspire countless youthful bedroom choreographers nonetheless.

"One Man Show" is almost raucous, befitting its liberation-from-oppressive-relationship theme. "In an empty room girl, you're the one I see / Let me tell you girl, we're history!" sings Nick Jonas before launching into the chorus, one of many that features a generous helping of backing vocals. Like much of the album it's silly, fun and sounds just a bit too perfect.

"A Little Bit Longer" does have a few utter duds with "Sorry" being the worst of the bunch. It's an overwrought, overproduced ballad that could have been an outtake from Richard Marx's "Repeat Offender." Why an outtake? Even Marx wouldn't want his name associated with a lyric like "Knowing I am to blame / For leaving your heart out in the rain." They may be just teenagers (well, at least two of them) but a line like that would get a failing grade in any high school poetry class.

After all of the hand-holding sweetness, things get a tad less idyllic toward the end of the album. "Video Girl" lashes out at groupies and gold diggers, but the hostility is a bit blunted when they sing, "You know it's bad when your momma doesn't like her." The Knack would disagree.

One tendency the band may want to keep in check on future releases is their fondness for cutesy song introductions. The most effective of these is the kettle whistle that opens "Burnin' Up." "Lovebug" copies the inane party chatter used on Weezer's "The Sweater Song." Most bizarre is the valley girl who intones, "OMG! Did you hear I dated a Jonas Brother? It's so hot!" before "Video Girl" kicks in. More mature Jonas Brothers listeners may recognize this as a wan imitation of the infamous "Oh my god, Becky!" speech that started Sir Mix-a-lot's "Baby Got Back."

Also, a fashion note for the Jonases: Quit wearing those ascots. They make you look like Carlos D.

Written by Express contributor Meg Zamula