Backstreet Boys “In A World Like This” Leaves A Lot to be Desired

20 years and counting.  That’s how long the Backstreet Boys have been together and while I may not follow their every move anymore, or have their posters pinned to my wall, I’d like to think that I’m still a pretty big fan.  No, I didn’t rush out to buy their latest album on it’s release date, or even bought their last two albums for that matter, but I figured 20 years, a new tour, a new album, it has to be good, right?  Boy was I wrong.

Halfway through my drive I switched CD’s to New Kids on the Block’s latest album because quite frankly I was bored.  The up-tempo numbers we’re used to hearing like “Larger than Life” and “Backstreet’s Back” were replaced with cornier than usual lyrics which might have well be written by a second grader, bland harmonies and not a single chorus I can remember other than that of the title track. (And that may only be because working at Kohl’s, I hear the song several times a day.)  What happened to the rich vocal harmonies in years past?  It’s almost like the songs have been dumbed down for a newer generation of fans.  Of course, if this is your introduction to the Backstreet Boys, this album will most definitely not make you a fan. 

You would think with age would come experimentation, and that may be said for the track “Madeleine,” but know your audience.  Nick sounds like he’s trying to be Jason Mraz. This is a far cry from “I Need You Tonight,” which showcases his crooning abilities, and may have been the song where I first truly fell in love with him, but I digress.

I was also a little shocked to find a lack of writing credits anywhere in the packet.  For artists who started off not playing a single instrument onstage back in the day, but now know guitar, drums, etc. were any of the songs penned by the boys themselves?

Ironically, one of the tracks is titled “Show ‘Em (What You’re Made Of)” and all this album showed me was letting other people pen your tracks and take your sound in a different direction is not where you should be 20 years into your career.

As each track ended, I kept hoping and waiting for something to stand out.

When I go see them in concert in September, I’m hoping the majority of the show is old school Backstreet, because this album is really lackluster and not the group I fell in love with.