Hanson was a staple in the music repertoire of every girl in the late 1990s. They rose to fame on the wings of a song with lyrics nearly impossible to understand and a chorus comprised of total gibberish.
Thirteen years after their hay day, their legacy in pop culture is little more than a reference to their only famous single ?MMMBop? and infinite number to which they are the punch line.
The band, comprised of brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson, made their name in 1997 by ?MMMBop[ping]? their way into the hearts of teenage girls across America with the release of their third album, Middle of Nowhere, which critics deemed the start of the post-grunge pop movement.
Despite only having one radio hit, Hanson has continued to evolve musically and produce sweet, soulful and meaningful pop songs without abandoning their boy band roots. Their newest album, Shout It Out, is no different.
Shout It Out highlights how much Hanson has matured musically (insert joke about finally reaching puberty here). Their last two albums have highlighted soulful pop/rock tunes, but this one is much more upbeat and strictly pop. The songs on Shout It Out are a nod to classic pop standards from the and 1960s, while still remaining uniquely Hanson.
This shift in sound is most evident in their first track on the album, ?Waiting For This,? a simple feel-good tune. The song provokes a desire to dance in the streets with strangers, a la (500) Days of Summer.
The album?s first single, ?Thinking About Something?, also embraces their new sound. Hanson utilizes myriad instruments, like a cowbell ? also featured heavily in the song ?Give A Little?? a substantial brass section and keyboards to create a retro kind of pop, a la Ray Charles in The Blues Brothers.
Shout It Out features two types of songs, the upbeat retro melodies and the classic soft, soulful songs dominated by beautiful piano melodies and trademark Hanson harmonies. Clearly, they found a sound that they really liked, and decided not to deviate from it; that?s one way to guarantee cohesion. The songs share a standard formula, but at least it?s a good one.
Even though they played around with some new instruments, they did include a few classic Hanson piano-heavy tunes, such as ?Use Me Up.? These songs exhibit Hanson?s musical talent as well as their ability to write deep, heartfelt lyrics.
Shout It Out manages to strike balance between unique songs that make Hanson special, and one or two not so great songs.
I wouldn?t recommend popping this CD into your stereo and listening to it in it?s entirety more than once (I?ve found that by the fourth time, you kind of want to smash speakers); but I would definitely advise adding it to your iPod as an asset to your shuffle.
I freely admit that Hanson is one of my guilty pleasures, but as the song ?Waiting For This? says ?I know that you?ve been waiting for this.? I won?t lie, I kind of have.