“I Will Come to You” pledges love and faithfulness “when the night is dark and stormy.” The young Hanson brothers treasure enduring friendships in an unstable world on the number-1 smash “MMMBop,” imploring listeners to invest in people who really care. Innocent love songs (“Thinking of You,” “A Minute Without You”) are jubilant and hopeful. Similarly upbeat tracks call for trust (“Speechless”) and cooperation (“Where’s the Love”) in relationships. On “Weird,” the boys encourage their painfully self-aware peers that everyone feels strange and out of place sometimes. Told from their grandmother’s perspective, “With You in Your Dreams” reminds us that relatives who have died will live on in our memories.
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Bouncy retro fun. Young fans will identify with the brothers (ages 16, 14 and 11 when this album was released) and their unhardened view of the world. Meanwhile, the band’s sound will resonate with parents-a nostalgic blend of The Jackson 5 and any number of pop acts from the early ’70s. Adults may question whether boys this age should be meditating on romance, but the messages are solid.
