CD of the Week: Hanson

HANSON
"THE WALK"
(3CG, 2007)

If you're reading this sentence, it means that the simple mention of the name "Hanson" didn't instantly repel you, and that I probably don't need to explain that the brothers Hanson have evolved musically since their bubble-gum kid-pop days a decade ago -- which would make logical sense, of course, since they've matured physically and psychologically since then as well. One can hardly deny that Hanson have had an uncanny natural talent for music since the very beginning; remember, they wrote their own stuff even back then.

Starting out with "Great Divide", a hearty anthem featuring an African boys' choir (proceeds from the iTunes sale of the single go toward an African AIDS charity), the album maintains a steady momentum throughout ... a melodic tribute to their musical influences ("Been There Before"), a breezily jogging love song ("Georgia"), a heartbreaking ballad ("Go"), a propulsive rocker ("Blue Sky", again featuring the African boys' choir), and a lushly atmospheric lament ("One More"). All three brothers trade off in lead vocal duties, and for the first time, I've come to truly appreciate vocals other than Taylor's: the youngest Hanson, Zac, has really come into his own on this album, with a very enjoyable voice. Has something changed just in the last two years, or have I just failed to notice his vocal talent until now? (I think he's been given more lead vocal turns here than on previous efforts, now that I think about it.) I may have to go back and listen to their last album.

After their sugar-coated debut disc, Hanson made a jarring shift into a heavily blues-influenced sophomore album. Then, realizing it may have been too much of a "growth spurt" for some of their fans to digest, they lightened up some for their third record. Now, they've gone one more step into adulthood, resulting in an album that is, in a way, both surprising (in its maturity) and expected (in its evolution) at the same time. Now that they're all married, the boys have become men and can now write adult songs without seeming pretentious -- at least no more pretentious than white guys who play the blues. And for those who are unable to look past "Mmmbop" and continue to avoid Hanson based on their distant creative past ... well, the loss is yours.