Lines, Vines and Trying Times [Digipak] (CD - 2009)

Jonas Brothers: Nick Jonas (vocals, guitars, piano, keyboards, glockenspiel); Kevin Jonas II (vocals, guitars); Joe Jonas (vocals).

Personnel: John Fields (vocals, guitars, baritone guitar, keyboards, talk box, bass guitar, percussion, programming); John Taylor (vocals, guitars); Ken Chastain (keyboards, percussion, programming); Steve Lu (keyboards); Dorian Crozier (drums, percussion, programming).

Audio Mixers: John Fields ; Paul David Hager.

Audio Remasterer: Dave McNair.

From the opening salvo, "World War III," an intense little prog-funk number written by Nick Jonas, it is clear that the Jonas Brothers' fourth studio album is not a bid for more 'tween stardom, but rather a step towards creative daring and maturity. But those who've been watching the band since the start have noticed that the talented Brothers are anything but a pre-fab studio trick.

Strong instrumental and writing chops abound here on synth-rockers like "What Did I Do to Your Heart" and melodic power-pop anthems "Paranoid," "Poison Ivy," "Much Better," and "Don't Speak." Not everything works completely; the metallic pseudo-hip-hop track "Don't Charge me for the Crime," featuring rapper Common, seems like a bit of a reach, and some treacly ballads have been allowed to leak in, but the good outweighs the bad, and makes the future for this band seem limitless. minimize