Backstreet Boys - Never Gone CDs • Vinyl Records • LPs • Music Albums

which suggests Ben Folds without the wit. Whether working with their original Swedish Svengali, Max Martin, or platinum producers like John Shanks (Michelle Branch, Kelly Clarkson), the Backstreet men rarely accelerate beyond a midtempo thud. And with all the millions they've made, can't the Backstreet organization afford someone to write better titles than "My Beautiful Woman" and "Poster Girl"?

With their first album of new material since 2000's Black & Blue, the Backstreet Boys attempt to update their sound with some gently crunching guitars and a few somewhat rock-oriented melodies. The good news is that it works and, more important, those otherworldly harmonies did not get lost in the shuffle.