Nobody Else [#1]

by Bryan Buss
Presaging the teen-pop phenomenon of the late ''90s, Take That took Great Britain by storm in 1993. They didn''t, however, hit the States until this release, and even then they hardly made a dent, with only the single "Back for Good" getting any airplay. Where Hanson sparked the boy band craze in the U.S. with a tight band, assured songwriting, good vocals, and an appreciation for rock and roll, and the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC gave us lush harmonies and production, Take That lacks the confidence or the style of even the weakest cut by the above-mentioned groups. With lyrics like "Love ain''t here anymore / it''s gone away to a town called yesterday," you almost snap out of the coma the rest of the album has induced--simply because the lines are laughable. Despite lilting vocals on "Back for Good" and the surprising, risqué "Babe," there isn''t a cut that stands out on Nobody Else. Teen pop isn''t always art, but it still needs to be well done and have a little bite. This album doesn''t offer either.