This Time Around [ECD] by Hanson (CD, May-2000, Island Records USA)

Don't really know never received it! My child wanted it, gave me her money, I bought her money order, seller took it and ran!!!

Hanson makes good on the promise they showed in their first album with This Time Around, a hip, straight-up rock album without a bad song on it. The guys wrote every number unassisted, a first for the group. The best of the bunch is the title track, a southern-rock-infused jammer that features Taylor and Ike on lead vocals and some very cryptic lyrics about death. Also of note is "If Only," with a hard-driving rhythm (courtesy of youngest Hanson Zac on drums), smokin' harmonica from John Popper and yearning-for-love lyrics that just manage to stay sentimental rather than sappy. Same goes for the words in "Love Song," a reflection on marriage and commitment that features Hanson's trademark harmonies. The lovely "Song to Sing" rivals some of The Eagles' classic ballads, and the rhythmic acoustic guitar in "Sure About It" helps make the song into an irresistable toe-tapper (how often can you say that regarding a song about uncertainty?). That this album did not outsell its predecessor is less a reflection of its quality than the record company's unwillingness to distribute it properly. Make no mistake, the Hanson kids are growing up and getting better and better at making music.