The Jonas Brothers' third album gets it just right

Jonas Brothers A Little Bit Longer Grade: B+ What the Jonas Brothers accomplish on their third album, A Little Bit Longer (Hollywood), is nearly impossible: Tweaking their songs enough to sound like upstanding pop-rock adults without losing the signature style that won them millions of Disney-loving fans in the first place. So many teen heartthrobs have gotten the pop-star calculus wrong, moving too fast in one direction or not moving quickly enough. But Team Jonas gets everything just right on A Little Bit Longer, and it manages it without relying on sappy ballads or trendy songwriting collaborators. Aside from the somber title track about Nick Jonas' diabetes diagnosis, the album is essentially pure pop buzz. The first single, "Burnin' Up," does Maroon 5's faux-funk even better, with a better hook and a bouncier groove,... [read full story]