Do you have a family barbecue planned? Do you need a soundtrack that will get grandads bopping in their aprons and jolly up toddlers who’ve pierced their tongues with kebab skewers? The Jonas Brothers have you covered with this sunny collection of funk-infected, (mostly) PG-rated pop. The Album’s solid, welcoming hooks sound so familiar that after a few Pimm’s your mum will be singing along, telling you she loved these songs in the late Seventies. This was a conscious plan on their part. Drummer and co-lead singer Nick Jonas says that fans now bring both their kids and their parents to gigs, explaining that the trio wanted their latest release to “speak to all those different walks of life and ages”.
In recent interviews, the wholesome, handsome siblings (all now in their thirties) explained that they’ve dug into their childhood influences to make this record. They’ve tipped their hats to the warm, AM radio grooves of Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind & Fire, The Doobie Brothers and The Bee Gees whose music Nick recalls their dad playing in the car. The Gibb brothers’ close, three-part harmonies are emulated (albeit at a slightly less frenetic mosquito-on-helium pitch) throughout. Lyrically, it’s a celebration of happy families.
