Backstreet's back ... again?

No really, they are back again.

But this time it must be said with extreme reluctance. Don't get me wrong --I was once a boy-band-crazed 14-year-old screaming in the 5,000th row of a sold-out concert. But even though those days were long ago, these boys sound exactly the same. Except that this time they've added weird techno beats and fancy electronic sounds to the mix, as if to cover the fact that their true talent is scarce.

I'm confused -- do they not realize the late-'90s boy-band phase is over? That bubblegum pop has faded out? Monotone vocals and low energy fill 14 tracks here of whiny vocals about broken hearts and the one that got away.

One thing is for sure: The album's poor quality can't be attributed to the loss of Kevin Richardson (the band only has four members now). Better songwriting and lyrics would have boosted this album to at least a listenable level. Just because their fans used to be 12-year-old girls doesn't mean they have to go on making songs for the same age group. But lyrics such as "You're one in a million but you never look my way" and "I can't let you walk away tonight" simply relive the high-school drama days.

The same pop formula that worked in 1996 doesn't quite work now, but they're still trying it. Did you forget the formula? Start with a solo (probably by Nick or A.J.). Next, add the voice of the other (Nick or A.J., whoever didn't start the song). Build up, cue drums, then come to the power chorus (all five, er ... four of them belting it out) over terrible background beats remnant of synth-pop techno. Next: the key change and a power chorus -- again -- with A.J. singing loud notes over all of it.

"You Can Let Go" is this album's sunshine-on-a-rainy-day. This lone bright spot radiantly showcases what the boys need if they want their career to continue in any form: acoustic instruments and better songwriting. Instead of the typical drab beats, the group managed to incorporate piano and guitar into this song with solo-oriented vocals that showcase their talent.

Overall, this attempt is a major disappointment to loyal BSB fans. Little improvement since their 2005 album Never Gone shows that while their fans have grown up, these boys sure haven't.