This Is Us By The Backstreet Boys

On “This Is Us,” The Backstreet Boys’ eleventh studio album (and second as a quartet), the band claims that their sound has matured. To be fair, this is true – they’ve done well to throw off the pop shackles of their `90’s selves and move into a techno-tinted R‘n’B area. But this does not mean that their new music is any good. Not at all.

The first single off the album, “Straight Through My Heart,” is vaguely listenable because it has a dance friendly beat as the lyrics soar into the chorus. The pop harmonies and catchy hooks that one might expect from such a band are present and it sets a fair standard for the album that, unfortunately, almost none of the other songs deliver on. “PDA” and “Masquerade” also have dance-worthy beats that’ll merit more than one listen.

However, on tracks like “She’s A Dream” it seems that the Boys are almost asking for ridicule when they come off like a poor facsimile of soul singers wafting on about their girls, who are with them for love and not their star status. Kudos on the message of the song, but no points for the way it’s sung. Subsequent tracks “If I Knew Then,” “Bye Bye Love,” and “Undone” are of a similar vein.

Brian Littrell says that this album is a chance for the band to show the world that they’ve still got what it takes, but there’s an overriding feeling that they’re instead trying to show us who their producers or influences are, and they fail at bringing much of an attitude of their own to any of the music.

So if “This Is Us” really is The Backstreet Boys showing us their true selves, it’s unfortunate. Avoid the disappointment of listening to this record – you’ll have more fun simply reminiscing about the days of “Backstreet’s Back” instead.