It’s been over 20 years since their debut album and 14 years since their last release. The New Kids On The Block are back, but they’re not quite as new and they seem to have lost their knack for, “hangin’ tough.” Instead, their new album, The Block, is a love-pop production for the young at heart. More specifically, this is music all the women who never quite finished fantasizing about Joey McIntyre and Jordan Knight have been waiting for. The lyrics are seductive and sleazy, catchy and cheesy, and the beats are there to back it all up . . . sometimes.
This time around, the content is a bit more mature, referencing sex tapes and other topics that probably wouldn’t have gone over quite so well in their teenage youth. Unfortunately, the melodies and overall sound fails to resemble 2008. Instead, they use limited, generic rifts straight out of the 1980s that are poorly masked by recent technology and synthesizing. The Block is a slightly updated version of Step by Step, the band’s big hit of the 1990s.
Without NKOTB’s successful track record, this album would undoubtedly be more of a mess. Name recognition is key. At least they’re still identifiable. How else could they get away with singing things like, “sexify my love?”
Some of the songs are redeemable, but, as a whole, the album fails to please. For the true, unwavering fans, NKOTB have provided a new reason to get up in the morning. There’s not much to be said for everyone else.
The first redeemable song is “Summertime.” It will be a short-lived hit but it has effectively infiltrated the radio airwaves and received heavy playtime. It’s pretty catchy, and it is easy to follow along.
Other songs, like “Grown Man,” illustrate the change in content and maturity. NKOTB are definitely singing about a different kind of loving these days. The Pussycat Dolls and Teddy Riley make a sexy contribution on this number. Together, they created a fast paced, racy track worth checking out. The temperature heats up when they sing, “I’m-a give you some grown man,” followed by some heavy breathing.
Similarly, “Full Service,” featuring New Edition, is a simple and straightforward song about making love. Not much is left to the imagination when they sing, “I’ll pump you up-up cause I got the premium.” They certainly seem to seal the deal when they say, “I’m-a gonna give you full service baby.” This dance hit isn’t stellar, but it’s more than entertaining.
In other songs, the lyrics can’t so much be classified as entertaining as alarming. Take the songs “Click Click Click” and “Lights, Camera, Action,” for example. Both are about trying to capture women on camera. In one of the songs, Donnie Wahlberg promises, “by the time this is over, girl, I’m-a make you a star,” a creepy suggestion, to be sure.
All in all, NKOTB come rather close to making great music in The Block, but they consistently miss the mark. Their existence might be enough to melt some hearts and bodies, but this album certainly won’t. At least they can say they tried.
