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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lines + Vines = Good Times, June 21, 2009
I discovered the Jonas Brothers by accident sometime after the release of their first album. I generally like all their stuff, but here's an honest rundown of my feelings about their latest effort.
1. World War III: For an opening track - and one written by the soulful youngest Jonas - I was surprised to dislike it so much. It's got a good beat, but the lyrics fell flat for me. A weak opener and my least favorite track, but it only gets better from this one!
2. Paranoid: It's no wonder this was the album's first single. Catchy and cute. Classic Jonas.
3. Fly With Me: Really like the chorus and Nick's vocals on this one. Even a "Peter Pan and Wendy.." mention!
4. Poison Ivy: A good track overall. Kinda catchy. Who knows - I could see this being released as a single as well, though I prefer other tracks on the album.
5. Hey Baby: The horns are great. Love the sound in this one. And again, love the vocals here.
6. Before the Storm (ft. Miley Cyrus): With or without Miley, I would have liked this track, which she co-wrote with the brothers. I have to say that I usually do not enjoy her voice, but she didn't take anything away by overdoing it on this track, so I was completely satisfied. I enjoyed the lyrics. Good vocals!
7. What Did I Do To Your Heart: You'll hear a harmonica and a fiddle among other things - and they really add a lot to the country-ish vibe. Different - in a good way!
8. Much Better: An ode to the fans. I don't care if they deny it - there's a clever mention of a certain country superstar in the beginning - which made me laugh actually, but the song is actually a good one.
6. Black Keys: By far, my favorite track. Penned by the youngest Jonas - who does the lead vocals too - it's creative and sweet. I prefer the songs where you can see Nick's style in the lyrics. (Still amazed I don't like his WW3....) The youngest Jonas is pretty thoughtful and deep for his age.
7. Don't Charge Me For The Crime (ft. Common): A definite change of pace. And an interesting one. Common? Who woulda thought! An enjoyable track. I wouldn't encourage the JB to do this sort of thing often, but the track succeeds in my book.
8. Turn Right: Has an emotional vibe. Genuinely nice, heartfelt song.
9. Don't Speak: Enjoyed the vocals on this one. Lyrically sound as well. One of the better tracks.
10. (Bonus Track) Keep It Real: A bonus I could have done without to be honest. It's not horrible, but it sounds like exactly what it is - a song they sang for television! Reminds me of some of their earlier songs...only I liked those better than this one.
Overall, I enjoyed the Lines and Vines, although sitting through "WW3" and ending with "Keep It Real" were Trying Times for me! If you love the Jonas Brothers, this album won't disappoint.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
They make the growing pains sound good, June 17, 2009
First, I am not in the expected fan base for Jonas Brothers. Not by a long shot. However, their lyrics are clean and their hooks catchy and the boys aren't hard on the eyes; all of that has me won over before hearing anything else. In their new CD the songs aren't just catchy, they are flat out contagious. If I am not listening, I have found myself singing or humming the songs. Repeatedly. I have to hand it to JB for maturing their sound in the right way. Most "boy bands" go on the extreme of "we're not kids anymore" when they try to branch out their sound. JB has done it right: writing relevant songs to their lives in a sophisticated and mature way. The band boasts a wider variety of instruments and the metaphorical writing suits them wonderfully. Another positive (for me at least) is being able to hear more of Kevin's singing. He's still all harmony but at least you can tell it's him singing. That's not been the case in the songs I've purchased before. Overall, this CD is excellent. It's clear the guys will be around for a while and they and their fans won't be doomed to bubblegum for the duration.
World War III: 4/5 Angsty and fiesty and fun. A bit hard to listen to the first go round because it is so aggressive but by the end you're sold.
Paranoid: 4/5 Their first release from the album. Definitely one you'll find yourself humming when you aren't paying attention. I always think I am sick of it until I hear it again and then I realize that, nope, it's still pretty good.
Fly with me: 5/5 From Night at the Museum 2 and honestly, one of the best tracks. We still get the bubbly and sweet lyrics but the music is something more than just catchy. "Peter Pan and Wendy turned out fine..." lyric just seals the deal for me.
Poison Ivy: 3/5 Most contagious track by far, literally and of course, metaphorically. We all want what isn't good for us but we all hate that we want it. Redundant lyrics but insanely awesome music.
Hey Baby: 3/5 Good but not great. Catchy but not memorable. Filler song for me. (Update: After listening to this song more, I appreciate it more than when I wrote the review. If I had to rate it now, I would actually give it a 4/5. As far as songwriting and performance goes, it's probably a 5 but it just doesn't have the memorable catch that Fly With Me or Turn Right have, so I can't give it a full 5).
Before the Storm: 4/5 Thankfully Miley doesn't over-sing and the writing and performing of this song are tender and sweet. It is clear that Nick and Miley mean every word.
What did I do to your Heart: 5/5 This song is just F-U-N, fun! Love the country influence. The only improvement that could be made is Kevin on a banjo.
Much Better: 4/5 Brilliant. I'm a T.S. fan but what a joy to see her get a dose of her own medicine. While it's never stated to be directed at her, honestly, you can't help but to raise an eyebrow at: "Got a rep for breaking hearts/ Now I'm done with superstars/ and all the tears on her guitar/ I'm not bitter..." Really been waiting for Joe to get some sort of say in the matter and this satisfies me completely. My only issue with this song is that it doesn't need a horn and guitar solo both. I'm sure it will be great live, but too much for the CD. (Update, I did see JB live, with my daughter this summer. It wasn't their full set since they were actually only headlining a city celebration. They did play this song and I have to admit, I didn't notice the horn and guitar solo being as cumbersome as it was on the CD. Either they trimmed it, or it was just so amazing live that I didn't have time to notice it. It really does play better live.)
Black Keys: 5/5 Nick's experiment with writing on the black keys of the piano. Hauntingly beautiful melody is the result and the lyrics are typical, tender Nick.
Don't Charge me for the Crime: 2/5 Like WWIII, it takes a listen or two but then you can appreciate it. Complete metaphor for how far you should or shouldn't go to help a friend (are people actually taking the lyrics seriously?) Clearly an experiment and here you see(hear) some growing pains.
Turn Right: 5/5 My absolute personal favorite on the entire CD. The all acoustic suits them so well when they let themselves commit to it completely. Kevin played piano on this at the Wal-mart sound check concert but doesn't get any listing on the CD for it, so I don't know if he recorded the piano, but if so, it's cool to hear him play other instruments.
Don't Speak: 3/5 They say they wrote it in the vein of U2, Kings of Leon, Mutemath and some others. I hear U2 all over it the most. Not my favorite song but an absolute cross-over to my age bracket (mid-30s) if they were aiming for that. Definitely a slower paced song for them as far as story telling and theme. Will do well though on radio play if they choose to release it.
Keep it Real: 4/5 Bonus track from their sitcom. Classic JB, catchy and a little kitchy but absolutely fun.
Completely worth every penny whether you're 12 or 32.
Update: Even though very few of their songs actually rated the full 5 stars for me, the album as a whole is a great package, which is why I gave it 5 stars. Sometimes breaking it apart piece by piece you can see the chinks in the armor, but over all, 3 months later, I am still listening to this entire album almost daily -- not as a teenager, but a much older than these guys adult. That alone should hold up any 5 star rating in my book.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Jonas Brothers Moving On Up, June 17, 2009
Lines Vines and Trying Times is quite a growth from A Little Bit Longer and a complete 180 from It's About Time. The brothers really step it up with power pop numbers like Paranoid and Hey Baby and smooth ballads like Black Keys and Turn Right. The diversity on this album is admirable and a sophisticated departure from the teeny bopper tunes that is often associated with the Jonas Brothers.
Tracks:
World War III-a super fast paced tune that would feel at home on any pop/rock playlist
Paranoid - Embodies the boys' gift for scoring the perfect hook and a great first single. A real improvement from their last CD's first single, Burning Up
Fly With Me - Though it is a little sappy, it's amazingly catchy. Even for you older listeners.
Poison Ivy - Despite it's incredibly annoying lyrics that seem a bit repetitive at times, the music on this song is irresitable
Hey Baby - again, a great pop/rock song that would make a great single
Before the Storm - a bitter sweet duet with pop sensation Miley Cyrus. The vocals are great on this one as is the heartfelt lyrics
What Did I do To Your Heart - With a country feel, this song is a refreshing filler for teh album
Much Better - Despite it's obvious target (a direct hit at the heartbroken Taylor Swift), this song is a real winner with it's clear homage to the legendary Neil Diamond. One of the best songs they've recorded.
Black Keys - Great vocals and astounding lyrics. It's easy to forget a sixteen year old wrote them.
Don't Charge Me for the Crime - An interesting pop and rap medley. It's a good attempt, but the lyrics are not really believable coming from Disney's favorite squeaky clean poster boys
Turn Right - Easily one of the best songs that the Jonas Brothers have recorded. The music is clean and beautiful and the lyrics are unbelievably real and relatable
Don't Speak - I see this as another excellent single. Excellent hook, very catchy
Keep It Real - In case you were forgetting who you were listening to, this song will remind you that the Jonas Brothers are still kings of pop for young people
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