aaamusic | On 07, Jun 2011

I guess everybody can remember Hanson, the teenage band who shaked Europe and USA with the infectiuos song “MMMBop“. As many of you can think, they didn’t disappear: they carried on with their career in their own country and now decided to conquer Europe again with their fifth album, Shout It Out.

Piano,guitar solos and anthemic choirs support a winking voice, clear and pleasant, Hanson improved their skills and appeal, but not only. They based their music on fundamental instruments, piano, guitar, horns, so their roots can be found in what I call the “real” music, I mean rock, blues and soul.
The whole revisited with a fresh energy and touch of optimism and young impudency.
Waiting For This is the perfect opener with its piano and choirs who invite people to “Shout it out”,  while Thinking ‘ Bout Somethin’ is more choral introducing a brass section and an amazing blues guitar solo.
It’s good to notice that even if they have grown up they have preserved their music style and turned it into something more mature, but still authentic with its very American mark.
Carry you there marks out the moment of the pop ballad, the three harmonized voices create a gospel effect that opens to a classic sweet pop accompanied by the all-present piano.
Make it Out Alive is a pure Terence Trent D’Arby song, the star of the song is horns section, giving it more heart and soul.
And I Waited is one of my favourite songs, it has not anything special, but the whole works well and often that’s more important than looking for special effects.
Use me up is the heartbreaking moment, only piano and their three voices together create a beautiful aching atmosphere, it’s a proper ballad, the one you wanna hear when you’re sad or upset. The mid-tempo leanings of These Walls and Voice in the Chorus are confirmation of the good job Hanson did arranging the album, while Me Myself and I is the perfect end to 60 minutes of good music, leaving the listener with a touch of happy melancholy.

Author: Roberta Capuano