Ahhh, bless their cotton socks. Who can hate the Jonas Brothers? Ain't they loveable, stood there in their little outfits (smart, casual and 'edgy', respectively), their promise rings and their 'butter-wouldn't-melt' smiles? It's no wonder that millions of teenage American girls have bought all three of their multi-selling albums since their official formation in 2005.
Facetiousness aside, the wholesome, all-American fraternal trio are more difficult to dislike than they should be. With the musical tincture of a Busted/McFly mash-up, and the moral values of Cliff Richard, the New Jersey-born brothers (ranging in age from 16 to 20) are the male equivalent of Hannah Montana, and sit nicely into the Disney-sponsored musical niche that Miley Cyrus and High School Musical occupy.
Much more commercial than Hanson ever were, the Jonas Brothers are also indubitably more clean-living, too; the fact that the title of album #3, 'A Little Bit Longer', refers to lead singer Nick's battle with Type-One diabetes speaks louder than any protestations of purity ever could. Musically, this is inoffensive to the max. Simplistic, energetic pop-rock anthems like BB Good, Tonight and Pushin' Me Away are seamlessly hitched to moody, heartfelt ballads (Can't Have You, Sorry), and even if the generic disposition starts to grate quite quickly, the glossy production ensures that a dose of peppiness is never too far away.
When all is said and done, these are songs made to be played over a soundtrack of screaming fourteen-year-old girls - so the terrible lyrics, unadventurous musical content and schmooziness of the whole thing will irritate anyone who's not female or engulfed in surplus hormones. It's unlikely that they'll change their spots, either - Nick Jonas is lined up to become the new Donny Osmond, after all. Who knows, though? Come back in ten years, when one or all three brothers have crack habits and supermodel girlfriends on their arms, and things could get a lot more interesting.
