With all five members of
New Kids on the Block
now firmly in their fifties, it's difficult to say that they're "Still Kids," but the title of their 2024 album -- their first record in 11 years -- isn't a nod to their calendar age: it's a statement of commitment from the group to the group itself. Certainly,
Still Kids
finds
NKOTB
on comfortable footing as they balance bright dance-pop and throwback soul with unabashed adult contemporary balladeering. It's the same combination that turned them into superstars back in the 1980s but the quintet is determined that
won't be solely an exercise in nostalgia. Make no mistake, they're happy to look back at the past, inviting fellow '80s stars
Taylor Dayne
and
DJ Jazzy Jeff
into the studio for cameos. The group also finds space for
Elijah Wahlberg
Griffin McIntyre
, the sons of
Donnie
Joey
; their presence underscores
's status as middle-aged men but also gives the record a warm sense of continuity. Similarly,
plays upon familiar
New Kids
sounds and styles, yet the group makes sure that the music sounds clean, sparkling, and bright, tipping its hat to trends without succumbing to youthful pandering. Heard from a certain angle, "Kids" and "Dance with You" could pass as modern club hits but the reason they work is that everybody concerned, from the performers to the producers, keeps the focus on melodic hooks; these are pop tunes, not dance cuts. In other words,
playing to their strengths, winding up with an album that sounds fresher than expected and is arguably tighter than their big hits of yore. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine