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Bringin’ Da Noise

by Spencer Ross

After putting legal matters behind them, NSYNC has put forth their newest album, No Strings Attached. Normally, a teenage guy wouldn’t be seen listening to this type of album, but I found the band to be correct in saying that this is an album "guys can listen to and girls can swoon to." I hadn’t been impressed with NSYNC’s first album, but as I found that I liked the Backstreet Boys’ sophomore album, Millennium, I decided to give NSYNC a second chance to redeem themselves. In switching to the Backstreet Boys’ label, Jive Records, and in hiring many of the same musicians, this 3 ½ out of 5 star album seems to do just that for the boys. With a vast array of beats, a lead single on the top of MTV’s TRL everyday, and massive media hype, No Strings Attached promises to top the Billboard charts for weeks.

The CD leads off with the first single, "Bye Bye Bye"- a song released early to promote the new album. Although the lyrics are relatively simplistic, the message of the song sets the mood under which the album was recorded. Shortly into the recording process, NSYNC left their old management (led by multi-boyband creator Lou Pearlman) and came upon Jive Records with a little more edgier attitude. Although "Bye Bye Bye" is about an ended relationship with a girl, the tone seems to identify with anyone who is tired of being controlled and manipulated. The cover art and the music video concept for this seem to suggest a backlash against being puppets of old management.

Perhaps unusual for NSYNC, the CD doesn’t offer much in the way of love ballads. The first one isn’t until halfway through the album. While songs like the remake of "Just Got Paid" and "Space Cowboy (Yippie-yi-yay)" (Featuring a rap by Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of TLC) are extremely high in energy and synthesized beats. I could easily foresee "This I Promise You" as the next single off the album. Again, the lyrics are not that original, even if Richard Marx wrote this one, but the slow beat makes it a worthy song nonetheless. Songs like "Digital Get Down" that talk about online romance and the title track, "No Strings Attached" are filled with effects that will start a party anywhere. Most of the ballads are near the end of the CD though, which makes the first ¾ of the CD easy to listen to without having to skip tracks when you’re not in the mood to hear some songs about the ideal things the guys will do for their girlfriends.

At times, this CD almost sounds like the guys in NSYNC are like the vocal harmonies of Boyz II Men and the music is a cross between the Backstreet Boys and Destiny’s Child. While the originality and creativity of this album isn’t that impressive, the general feel of No Strings Attached should give Lance, Chris, Joey, Justin, and JC the staying power they need for the boyband craze to remain on top. If their careers continue to rise, this album is only a stepping stone to where their abilities will go as well.

3/22/00