The Jonas Brother Hit L. A.

But while the tween masses may not have eyes just for Disney's fab three anymore, the Jonas Brothers are staying loyal, proving to their fan base that they're not going anywhere. They can still crank out light pop confections like nobody's business--even if said sugary substances are tightly wrapped in the confines of a sitcom.

The JONAS L.A. soundtrack features songs from the Disney Channel show of the same name--and the vibe is refreshingly old-school Jonas (if one can say such a thing about a band that's only been signed for five years). While the 2009 release, Lines, Vines and Trying Times, was called out for being a bit pretentious and "too mature" by some critics, JONAS L.A. is straight power-pop--the same sound that propelled the brothers into the stratosphere of the preteen planet in the first place. 

You'll not hear the Jonas Brothers sing about global warming, offshore oil spills or government bailouts on JONAS L.A. They don't preach about anything, in fact. All they want is love, love, love. 

Songs range from sweet ("Fall" spins off the lines, "I'm not afraid to fall/If you're the one who catches me") to sweeter ("Then out of the blue you came," goes "Summer Rain," "Ya shined a little light on a cloudy day") to positively sugary ("You came, you saw, you conquered my heart," gushes "Critical"). Sad songs, such as "Things Will Never Be the Same" and "Make it Right," don't cast judgment ("But it's over/There's no one to blame"), and they even sometimes engage in honest self-criticism ("But I'm gonna treat you better/'Cause if I had one wish/You'd be with me forever").

When it looks as though "Chillin' in the Summertime" might be ready to steer into problematic content, the boys pull it back. "When the night is through," Nick sings, "Baby girl, it's just me and you/There's only one thing left to do ... and that's play this song for you."

Click here to continue reading.