Yep, THAT Hanson. Those long haired boys that had girls screaming at them in all directions are back for some more, except they’ve had haircuts. Taylor (the middle child) still looks like a girl though. Little Zac even has a bit of facial hair!

I’m going to have to admit that as a 10 year old (blimey, where has the time gone?) I was a bit of a Hanson obsessive. I had the posters, the calendar and even the slightly (well very) cringe-worthy video From Tokyo To Tulsa, so you’re going to have to bear in mind that these boys always have place in my heart!

After a fairly hap-hazard return some five or so years ago, the boys have finally got round to coming back again. Putting whatever is left of my credibility on the line, I’m going to have to admit that I fucking love this album. With power-pop oozing out of every track, and plenty of soulful wailings in for good measure, it is indescribable how much it makes me smile. It has a lot to do with them being Hanson, but surely that’s the point?!

Right, let’s get down to business then. Ignoring the wee Intro, the albums opens with the brilliant Great Divide which is a pop song for the grown ups; the uplifting chorus lifts you and pulses back and forth as you coyly tap your foot along to it.

Been There Before is a sweet soul-filled song. As I recall, they grew up listening to music like Aretha Franklin, and you can tell they’re still very much drawing influence from that direction. It all sounds so tight and mature and it’s hard to imagine that theses three tried to convince us that “Mmmbop” really was in the dictionary.

This album is a concoction of R’n’B and good old rock and roll, plus it’s sugar coated with delicious pop. Ballads are dotted in between guitar soaked monsters. I know I’m biased, but it could have all been so painful, even embarrassing, and somehow they have emerged unscathed from years away.

It’s difficult to pick out the corkers, but those mentioned above, plus Georgia, Fire On The Mountain, and Something Going Round are up there.

Maybe I’m over-excited, and yes, of course I want to marry all of them. But putting all that aside for a moment, objectively, I think that musically, this album ain’t bad at all. They’re never going to please everyone because of who they are, but maybe people can see past that. And failing that, I’m sure their die-hard fans will buy the album anyway. It’s the Take That effect – it doesn’t matter how good or bad they sound, people will always love them. Everybody needs a bit of pop in their life. And if they say they don’t then they’re lying!

Altogether now…. “Mmm bop, da-ba-du-bop……”

Label: Cooking Vinyl
Website: www.hanson.net
Release date: 30th April 2007

Tracklist:

1. Intro (Ngi Ne Themba)
2. Great Divide
3. Been There Before
4. Georgia
5. Watch Over Me
6. Running Man
7. Go
8. Fire On The Mountain
9. One More
10. Blue Sky
11. Tearing It Down
12. Something Going Round
13. Your Illusion
14. The Walk