BEST GUILTY-NO-MORE PLEASURE: Hanson
Anyone old enough to remember the original reign of Hanson’s “MMMBop” — almost nobody in this crowd — would find the band’s latter-day version almost unrecognizable. There’s the age thing, of course, as even the littlest guy in the “MMMBop” days is now married and in his 20s. But Hanson has refused to stay a one-hit wonder, and throughout the years has toured and released new music continuously for a cultish following.
That following actually deserves to grow: These days, Hanson kind of shreds. Even as kids, the three brothers boasted formidable musical talent, which have gotten more impressive with the years. Middle brother, Taylor, went Little Richard-crazy on a gleaming white piano, and big bro Isaac sprinkled in some serious guitar licks on new songs like “Thinking ‘Bout Something.” The addition of some (admittedly canned) brass and some huskier vocal stylings gave the band a roughed-up, Stax-flavored, roots-rock feel.