Released: May 12
Bringing together a plethora of influences from across the decades, Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas have never sounded more timeless than on their sixth studio record.
Aptly-titled ‘The Album’, the 12-song set is executive produced by Jon Bellion, who set out to “wipe the palette clean and demolish every expectation and box the brothers have ever been put into out the gate”.
“We pushed ourselves to launch this thing musically into space while grounding it in a sort of Americana / Laurel Canyon nostalgia,” he says. “There was a time when structure and composition mattered not only loops and vibes, and we dove into that mind frame.”
Opening track Miracle, with its funk-inspired groove and juxtaposing falsetto and raspy vocals, sees the group channel seventies icons the Bee Gees while infusing their own modern edge. It’s an era they revisit frequently on the record, be it on the Eagles-influenced Montana Sky or Studio 54-esque Sail Away.
Among the most commercial offerings are pre-release tracks Wings and Waffle House, with the shuffle of the former not dissimilar to the sound of seventies Fleetwood Mac and the funk edge of their latest release reminiscent of Kool & The Gang with added elements of pop rock.
Lyrically, it’s one of a number of personal tracks to the group, tackling their relationships as brothers and bandmates and their affinity with the namesake eateries, where they celebrated, had hard conversations, broke up, and got together again. Among the other significant narratives, Vacation Eyes is about how Kevin and his wife Danielle first met, while Little Bird deals with kids growing older and flying the nest.
From the Shania Twain-esque country twang of Summer Baby to the Oasis-inspired closing track Walls, you’d be forgiven for thinking the group is suffering an identity crisis. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth; in blending together their personal influences and musical preferences, the sibling trio’s latest LP might be their most authentic yet.
It’s a process that spilled into the recording in more ways than one, says Jon. “We went so deep into the spirit and energy of the late seventies, the mustaches and long hair method acting approach started to just become our actual reality,” he laughs. “The brothers have a God given ability and talent that deserves this level of record making at this point, and I just wanted to honor how special they are with this music.”
Putting their Disney days firmly in the past, ‘The Album’ is a statement piece that showcases Joe, Kevin and Nick not only as singers, but fully formed artists delivering their strongest material to date.
