Hot and Covered...Hanson - Shout it Out (2010)

The Return of
"Mmmbop" Trio idols!

Hanson
Shout it Out (2010)

*I Proud To Recommended!!!*

Lots of teen idols routinely make proclamations of independence but few actually follow through. Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson's fifth album since their 1997 breakthrough is entirely self-written and self-produced, and aside from some bass lines and horn riffs, it's all self-played. Having flexed their rock muscles on 2007's The Walk, the Hansons pump up the soul in their pop, stretching beyond the Jackson 5-isms of "MMMBop" to embrace Sixties Southern R&B. Most white guys who aim for Ray Charles end up like the Blues Brothers, but on effusive tracks like "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'," Tulsa's favorite siblings simply sound liberated.

Music video by Hanson performing MMMBop. (C) 1997 The Island Def Jam Music Group

Remember that trio of Oklahoma blondes that took the radio by storm in 1997? Remember all the jokes about how puberty would ruin their careers, that they were a flash in the pan, that they'd go bankrupt, wind up in rehab, etc.

Turns out all of those predictions were wrong.

Fourteen years removed from their time in the spotlight, the rock trio Hanson are still making albums, still touring the country and still selling records. And while their omnipresence on radio may indeed be behind them, their fifth studio album (ninth overall) Shout It Out, is bonafide proof that Hanson are far from a flash in the pan. Drawing on the classic sounds of R&B, soul and blues albums they listened to growing up, Shout it Out is a breezy, sun-kissed collection of 12 hook-heavy, brass-indebted rock songs not unlike Chicago's 17.

From start to finish, Shout it Out is awash in frolicking pianos, playful guitar solos and ample amounts of horns. Anchored by Taylor 's full-lunged vocals, this is an album of soulful, viciously catchy rock n' roll. Opener "Waiting For This," sets the tone with a tickling piano line and Isaac's lively guitar work. Zest-laden, undeniably sunny and awash in optimism, it's a promising opening for a wholly satisfying body of work. Though "Thinking 'Bout Somethin," is the disc's lead single, It's successor, the groove-based "Kiss Me When You Come Home," seems a feasible choice for second single. Feeding off Taylor's impassioned crooning, Isaac's inspired playing and Zac's snappy drumming, it's a decidedly mature dose of pop perfection.

Though the band is at their best when left to their own devices, the aid of helping hands certainly does little to diminish their sound. A pristine example is the glorious harmonizing of soul singers in the gospel-influenced "Carry You There." Unfortunately, that marks the end of the the album's first half as the following three songs flatten out significantly. "And I Waited," "Give a Little," and "Make it Out Alive," seem to rely on the horn section to do most of the work. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but whereas "Carry You There," fed off the soul singers, this middle triumvirate doesn't seem to feed off the horns in nearly the same way. Instead, what could have been an engaging and memorable stretch turns into 12 minutes of filler. Thankfully the piano-driven ballad "Use Me Up," is next and hot damn, if it's not one of the best ballads written this year. Achingly tender, unarguably sincere and gorgeously arranged, it is arguably one of Zac's finest vocal performances to date.

The mid-tempo leanings of "These Walls," and the leave-it-all-on-the-table cut "Voice in the Chorus," are further examples of just how triumphant Shout it Out is. There's an unflinching sincerity, a palpable energy and an inherent conviction that drives both of these songs to glory. By the time the vocal-driven album closer "Me, Myself and I," roll around, one can't help but wonder, is this really the same band that wrote "MMMBop"? Aside from the trio's penchant for maudlin and borderline campy lyrics, there's little about Shout it Out that isn't infectious. So while for many it may be a bitter pill to swallow, the fact of the matter is, 14 years removed from their chart-topping success, the young 20-somethings known as Hanson are indeed here to stay. And as long as they continue writing albums this strong, there's no reason anyone should want them to leave.

“Shout It Out” to be released June 1st 2010

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“The album title stood out early on in the record process as a phrase that helped put all those elements into one simple statement,” Taylor Hanson tells Rolling Stone. “The record is built like a lot of records from ’60s and ’70s. From the beginning of the writing process, it felt like the kind of record we could have old school horn parts on.” Working with [arranger Jerry] Hey was a reunion of sorts since he’d also arranged horns on their 2004 release Underneath. But when it came time to team with Bob Babbitt, Hanson says the band benefited from a few “lucky calls” made by industry vet/drummer Steve Jordan and former Michael Jackson music director Michael Beardon to hook them up.

Hanson says Babbitt helped the band add movement to the record, which reflected their larger goals for Shout. “I want to be able to talk about changing the world through your actions and being a generation that is aware and a force to be reckoned with — and at the same time be dancing,” Hanson says, adding that the band’s last LP — 2007’s The Walk — was tied to the band’s experiences in South Africa and its fight to raise money for AIDS awareness. “This record is more buoyant.”

To kick off Shout It Out, Hanson are performing each of their albums in chronological order over a five-night stand in New York City at the end of April. The sold-out shows will be streamedFamily Stone member Rose Stone and singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet.

“By going back for a second, it creates a platform that allows you to hear the new record in perspective. In the end, you’ll hear how the songwriting and who we are has never changed,” Hanson explains. “With the new record, we’ve set forth the path we’re on and we’re really comfortable with it. We’re not trying to add anything new. For better or for worse, this is a written, performed, composed by Hanson album.”

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"Once back in time, like millions of other people, sang "Mmmbop"
for days upon days in '96."

However, And I don't know if they've evolved or not,
but I'm liking what I'm hearing!

the portastylistic