REVIEW -- JONAS BROTHERS: LINES, VINES AND TRYING TIMES

Jonas Brothers

Lines, Vines and Trying Times

(Hollywood)

On last year’s A Little Bit Longer, the Jonas Brothers sang about crushes, falling in love and other things teens typically fret over. On the follow-up, Lines, Vines and Trying Times, they’re all grown up, bitching about broken hearts and how miserable girls make them. Welcome to the real world, fellas. The album starts with a blast of circa-’85 synth horns on “World War III,” which is about relationship turmoil, not a nuclear-weapon crisis in North Korea. It’s all “love sucks” from there. Specifically, brother Joe takes swipes at Taylor Swift, who he dated for about 15 minutes last year: “I’m done with superstars and all the tears on her guitar,” he sings on “Much Better.” He also compares her to poison ivy in a song. Through it all, Nick, Joe and Kevin pile on the hooks, loading Lines, Vines and Trying Times with enough radio-ready super-pop to power their own teen franchise (their new Disney Channel show premiered last month. Are you watching?). It’s a bigger and better record than A Little Bit Longer, with horns, strings, fiddles and a Miley Cyrus duet bringing some variety to the Jonas Brothers’ glittering pop. Let the healing begin. --Michael Gallucci