Backstreet Boys have turned into a quartet

When in 2005 Backstreet Boys' single Incomplete was released after three years of break everybody was quite astonished by the obvious change in the band's style. The guys have turned to music closer to rock and have started to play musical instruments themselves. Although the critics have reacted to the band's new image in rather a tough way, the number of Backstreet Boys remained unchanged. It seems the members of the collective are quite satisfied with themselves, too, for the new album Unbreakable is recorded with the same approach as the 2005 record Never Gone. The only difference is the absence of one of the members: last summer Kevin Richardson left the band on the basis of pursuing personal interests, his family in particular. The guys have retrained friendly relations, and are not about to look for a substitute for Kevin in the mean time. Despite that Backstreet Boys are no more a quintet but a quartet album Unbreakable is by no means inferior to its predecessor neither in the respect of the vocal parts nor from the point of view of the songs' sounding richness.

Unbreakable is a worthy continuation of the career

Unbreakable's seventeen tracks are placed in a special consequence: at the beginning there are the songs reminiscent of Backstreet Boys early works with more elements of pop music in them, and approximately at half the record a gradual turn to tougher rock compositions takes place. The album opens with a short Intro that lets each of the band members demonstrate his vocals, and the first composition Everything But Mine is an up-tempo pop number, full of desperation and frank love confessions. The album's single Inconsolable is a pretty composition a bit reminiscent of Incomplete in style, though perhaps some will say it is more emotional. The ability of Backstreet Boys to distribute vocals is best revealed on a slow romantic song Something That I Already Know, and one of the most beautiful and complicated tunes on the album based on interesting half tones is on composition Helpless When She Smiles perfect for being performed by a quartet. Any Other Way is an up beat track that already contains some rock elements, while pop composition Panic is remarkable for a beat worthy of Sugababes. Another romantic song You Can Let Go can already boast with rather heavy guitars, and track Trouble Is is based on the same formula, it is an impressive break up anthem. A slow reflexive song Unmistakable is refined with special instrumental background featuring piano and fiddles, whereas In Pieces is the heaviest composition on the album. On the whole Unbreakable is a worthy continuation of Backstreet Boys career, even though it is no more the Backstreet Boys we used to know before.

A new creative period

It is not a secret that Backstreet Boys is one of the best selling bands of the world, and the audience's interest in its creative work does not decrease as the years pass by. Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and A.J. McLean (and Kevin Richardson until last summer) have had a long way together and turned from boys to men. Today one can hardly call them a boys band, although each of them can be easily recognized by the voice and the manner of performance. A new creative period started two years ago for Backstreet Boys, and together with Never Gone, album Unbreakable is significantly different from all the band's previous works. Except for the collective's strive for trying something new from time to time it is also a sign of the guys' many-sided talent for it is not that simple to combine different styles in one's works with such a success. Who knows, it is quite possible that there are further changes to come when rock ceases to interest them that much. For now there are seventeen great tracks at our disposal, each of which deserves attention. Let us hope that nobody else leaves Backstreet Boys and the remained four continues pleasing us with the albums as pleasant as Unbreakable has proved to be.

Alexandra Zachernovskaya
12.11.2007