The Jonas Brothers: Lines, Vines and Trying Times
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By: Katherine I'm going to start out by saying that I am a Jonas Brothers fan and I know many people will assume that this review is biased, however, I am a music fan in general and I'm not the type of person who is going to give a CD a good review simply because I'm a fan of the band. If they put out crap music I'm not going to say it's good just for the sake of saying its good. The reason I wrote this review is because I'm tired of reading reviews saying its "over produced" or "disconnected." This is by far my favorite Jonas Brothers album but I didn't expect it to be. Here is my review:
World War III - LOVE LOVE LOVE the horns!!! Its just so much fun to listen to. Its just a fun rocking out song and great for a angry bad mood type of day when you just want something closer to hard rock to listen to. I like how its like the girl wants to do all this fighting and they're just like no it's not gonna happen because I don't really care. At least that's how I took it.
Paranoid - Nick sounds so grown up, vocally, on this album but especially on this track. He just sounds like he has more control now and can go deeper but still hit the high notes. It did make me mad that RadioDisney/DisneyChannel edited the song from "I'm taking all the doctors meds" because honestly kids who listen to the Jonas Brothers are going to buy the CD regardless of what the lyrics say and they're going to hear it eventually. To me I didn't think of it as anything bad, its like I'm taking this stuff because if I don't I'll get sick and it just seemed like an elaboration of being "Paranoid." I also love the video. I think Kevin was my favorite because there were hundreds of Kevins everywhere!
Fly With Me - The piano throughout this song, especially at the beginning when its more of a focus, instantly puts me in a good mood. Its clearly a "Disney" song but who cares?! The classic Disney tracks from Alladin, The Little Mermaid and all those movies are great jsut like these and its time those songs regained popularity. Also I love "Peter Pan and Wendy turned out fine, so won't you fly with me" its just a brilliant, poetic and sweet lyric.
Poison Ivy - "I just got back from the doctor, he told me that I had a problem, I realized its you" I died laughing hysterically the first time I heard this line because its just so blantantly honest. My favorite part of this song is when it slows down and Nick is almost talking the lines then it kicks back into high gear and he's singing in a way that made me swoon! :) Also Joe's Mick Jagger like scream is priceless, and the horn section COMPLETES this song. Without the horns it would not be the same. Unfortunately I'm worried I'll get sick of it fast because of the repetition but that's good for concerts so people who haven't learned the songs yet can catch on fast!
Hey Baby - I'm Obsessed. haha That's pretty much all I can say. I was so excited when they said they got to work with Johnny Lang on this song. I LOVE him. I wish he would've sang with them but it's all good he's brilliant on the lead guitar on this song. I love the really fast sections right before the chorus; its just fun. This is a really fun driving song by the way :) haha I tested it out today and its awesome.
Before The Storm - I totally called that she was the special guest when they brought it up in the webcast thing. I'm sure a bunch of people did but I was like its Nick's most personal so she only makes sense. An instrumental track of this song would be completely beautiful. The very beginning almost starts to sound like "When You Look Me In The Eyes" with the "whoa, yea" thing but I love it so I don't care! :) This is more to do with the situation with Miley but does anyone else agree with me that there had to be something to do with rain when they broke up? In "7 things" she says "now we're standing in the rain" etc and then this song is clearly about a rain storm... I don't know that's just been bothering me hahah This song almost has a country feel to it and being a country music fan I love it. It may just be Miley's voice but I really think its the steel guitar and fiddle. Truly simple, beautiful, honest song.
What Did I Do To Your Heart - I swear I hear Kevin singing on this song! The first time I listened to it I was like that's Kevin but its not lead or anything but its a step in the right direction! I love this sound with their voices. The fiddle its AMAZING! Just great song and I love the little clap thing after they say "did I break it apart" it just makes it more of a party type song.
Much Better - Its like 80s retro pop and I love it. My mom was like it makes me think of Neil Diamond and she didn't even know they had said he was a major influence on this track. Obviously everyone knows its about Taylor Swift and it can be left to interpretation whether or not its about Camilla being "much better" but who cares. At least he wasn't all in everyone's face saying there's a song about Taylor Swift called "Much Better" on the new record like she did. Don't get me wrong I love Taylor, but she went about it the wrong way and I think Joe's response was very tasteful and mature. Again, the horns are great!
Black Keys - Kevin wasn't kidding on the Wal-Mart soundcheck thing when he said this album was poetic. I love this song. It is simply breathtaking. This may just be me personally but the songs Nick writes alone always get me the most. Nick Jonas is an artist. His description of this song in the album booklet thing is just so meaningful, "...I realized the simplicity of black and white versus the noise that is brought on by color." What 16 year old boy comes up with that? It takes a truly special person to come up with the things he does.
Don't Charge Me For The Crime - I was pleasantly surprised with this song. I don't think they will ever release this song since chances are it won't get airplay on the Disney Channel or Radio Disney but this song is like a mini-movie. hah Common did a great job and if you take the simple idea of this song it is so beyond true. I don't think many Jonas Brothers fans(or JB themselves) have helped someone rob a bank.... hahah but getting trapped in the middle of something you didn't do just because you were like "hey what's up" and suddenly someone launches into something you really didn't want to know. Idk I like it but I can understand the younger fans and parents of the younger fans not being too into it but oh well I'm not a parent so thats not my problem. Sorry.
Turn Right - Um ok I completely fell in love with each one of them all over again when I watched the Wal-Mart Soundtrack. If a guy ever said anything like this song to me I would just die right there. It is so, again, poetic and beautiful. I love songs that are more acoustic and i love songs that are for the hopeless romantic, like myself, and this song really just like made my life hahah its simplicity is so powerful.
Don't Speak - The string section at the beginning of this song just blew me away its so amazing I love it. The rest of the song is okay but I still like. Its probably my least favorite but I mean that's like saying its a 9/10 I don't think its bad I just enjoy the rest of the songs that much more. I could totally see this being on the soundtrack to some movie though.
Keep It Real - I can't wait for the JONAS! soundtrack. I'm glad they just added this as a bonus track instead of pre-order having one thing, target having another, as well as best buy and wal-mart having their own thing. I hate it when every store has something different because I'm not going to go buy like 5 CDS ya know?
**Every song on this album takes me to a different place and I love it. I love knowing the general meaning of a song, but also not knowing the specific origin of the song. I like being able to make my own interpretations as well as understanding where the aritst is coming from. The exceeed my expectations on this record and I hope they make good decisions when it comes to release of future singles off this record.**
Review #2 by Amanda
“Lines Vines and Trying Times” is the third studio album put out by the pop-heavy trio of brothers. The idea seems to be to do as much as they can while their popularity is in full swing, but I am not sure that was the best idea. This album marks the attempt to transition the Jonas Brothers to an older fan base. I find this interesting since most of these songs were written at the same time as the Brothers wrote songs for their new television series. It is as though they were trying to distance themselves as far from their Disney characters as possible. A lot of the songs are darker, and the music takes more risks, but there is such a strange mix of the music that the album does not feel cohesive.
“World War III” leads off the album with a bang. It is definitely high energy. For a song that is supposed to be about not wanting to fight, the rocker edge to their voices makes it sound a lot more antagonistic than it really is. The horns add an interesting sound to the music, actually making the song sound a lot better than I thought it would.
“Paranoid” is one of the most hyped tracks from the album, thanks mainly to the Disney channel. I really do not like the song. I know it has been lauded as having a more mature sound, and it is darker than previous efforts from the trio, but the song really grates on my nerves. I like the music, but coupled with the almost slurring of the words, it just does not work for me.
“Fly With Me” was featured in the “Night at the Museum” sequel that came to theaters right before the album’s release. I actually like this song more than I thought I would. There is a softer quality to the song, making it almost dream like, and the sound fits well with the words. This probably is more like the style of their previous work, so fans of their earlier sound will enjoy this one more than some of the harder edged tracks.
“Poison Ivy” typically conjures up images of green plants with three leaves and itchy red skin. The plant is not usually associated with a toxic relationship. This song does a fantastic job of blending those two ideas though. The idea that of someone being so bad for you that they affect you like a case of poison ivy not only makes for great lyrics, but also for a great visual. I kind of hope they do a music video for this song. The refrain that everyone “gets the itch” but hates it is tempered with the lyrics at the end of the song that “everybody needs a little poison ivy, everybody wants a little poison ivy.” The idea is that everyone wants something they know is bad for them, and I love it.
“Hey Baby” actually feels like a typical pop song at first, then the electronic element makes an appearance and the brass instruments gives it a big band feel, so I am not entirely sure how to classify this song beyond it being a little like a pop song. Not only is the style of the song conflicted, but so are the lyrics. At one point, they want to know why the girl is leaving and the next, they want her to leave. This song is actually the best song to reflect the album. No one seems to know just what they want or what style they want to use, and it makes it very disconnected.
“Before the Storm” features a bright young talent named Miley Cyrus. That girl seems to be everywhere these days. She is listed as featured on the song, presumably because she is supposed to do less work than the boys, but I think she sings on the song much better than the brothers do. Maybe this is because there is a country feel to the music and her voice is better suited to that style than any of the Jonas family. I do very much like the song, but it does not feel like a Jonas Brothers song. It might have been better on “The Hannah Montana Movie” soundtrack or something similar.
“What Did I Do To Your Heart” is even more country-like than the last song, but the Brothers do a much better job this time around. Really, the country feel is solely the result of the fiddle used, otherwise it would just be a pop song, but I like it. I also like that you can actually hear each of the individual voices of the trio, not just the usual blending or the solo sound of one of them while the other two focus on their instruments. It really makes the song stand out compared to the other tracks. The chorus is a bit repetitive, but to that I say, just don’t listen to the song on repeat.
“Much Better” has a 1980s cruise ship sound to it. I really feel like I should be wearing leg warmers and slap bracelets while I’m listening to it. The nostalgic sound does nothing to hide the barbs aimed at Joe Jonas’s famous ex Taylor Swift though. Lyrics like “I’m done with super stars and all the tears on her guitar” make the song’s message fairly obvious. Unfortunately, I think she did a much better job, no pun intended, on her version of a break up song for them than he did on this.
“Black Keys” is one of the prettiest songs on the album. I love the lyrics to this song, even though the first time through, they made absolutely no sense to me. The song is about taking something that would not normally be beautiful, like the black keys on a piano, and finding the beauty within them. It also notes that the things we normally find perfect might not be so perfect after all, and I think that holds a great message. It also helps that the message is set to amazing music.
“Don’t Charge Me For The Crime” features the rapper Common. This song is just… awkward, especially when it is sandwiched between two “soft” songs. It has an interesting sound, but the Jonas brothers singing about a friend throwing his pistol on the dashboard is just strange. This song seems to be more of an effort to show that the “boys” are not kids anymore, but it really does not work for me. Trying to add a little bit of a gangster flavor to this CD may have been a mistake. They probably should have waited for another album, or even two, to do something like this. It has more shock value for the disc than anything else.
“Turn Right” is so soft and so pretty, that it is such a jolt after the last song. I love the metaphor of life being a racetrack. It works really well. The music is beautiful. I am still not a huge fan of the sound of the vocals on this song, but the overall sound is too pretty to let that bother me. It is one of those songs that will have teenage girls swooning in their seats when it is performed live. Definitely a favorite from the album.
“Don’t Speak” has great lyrics, but like “Much Better” it reminds me of an 80s song for some reason. I really cannot place my finger on it, but I feel like I’ve heard it before. Surprisingly, this song does not take as many creative risks as the others on the disc do, making it feel just as out of place as most of the other tracks. Nothing really fits.
“Keep It Real” provided a clever tag line for the television series “JONAS“, and it provides a look at just what it feels like to achieve a dream you never thought possible, but still try to act like a “real” person. It feels very “Disney-fied” and not really in line with the more mature sound they are trying to sell on the rest of the disc.
This album is such a mixed bag that I don’t really know what to say overall. It has a few standout tracks that show how talented the Jonas Brothers are, but then it also has a few songs that I absolutely cannot stand. The rest of the songs fall somewhere in between as passable Jonas fare. It would be hard to label the album as simply average though, because the work they put in to the writing and the use of different instruments is evident. There is almost a feel that they tried too hard and too fast. Instead of trying to strike while the iron is hot, they really need to slow down, take a breath, and take their time on the next album. I think they and their fans will benefit from a less frenzied pace.