Dreaming in Color (CD - 2004)

Jump5: Chris, Lesley, Brittany, Libby, Brandon (vocals).

Acrobatic teen pop quartet Jump5 offer up another collection of shimmering radio-ready bulk candy with their fourth studio recording, Dreaming in Color. Like a CCM Andrew W.K., Lesley Moore, Chris Fedun, along with siblings Brittany and Brandon Hargest -- Libby Hodges left the group after 2003's Accelerate -- high-step it out of the gates with the bombastic "In My Heart," an instantly catchy high-school anthem that's equal parts "MMMbop" and "Pour Some Sugar on Me." The four longtime friends have matured vocally and melodically since their 2001 debut, but their penchant for unabashed spirituality, boundless positive energy, and hook-filled disposable pop remains unchanged. This is comforting, as Jump5 have always put fun and faith together without proselytizing, leaving a wide berth for both secular and nonsecular fans to dance around in. Each track is as harmless as it is comforting. Even the brooding "Mind Your Head," with its solemn message about the darker trappings of fame and fortune, is unable to maintain its lyrical heaviness amid the swirling blips and beeps of the record's myriad industry-savvy producers. Jump5 aren't going start a revolution; they're too happy singing, dancing, and falling in love to care, a sentiment best conveyed on their cover of Kiki Dee's "I've Got the Music in Me," where Moore and Hargest sing "when something gets in my way I go around it." ~ James Christopher Monger minimize