by Abby White

MMMBop. OK, now that we got that out of the way, let's move on.

Yes, the Hanson brothers were part of the teen pop phenomenom that exploded in the '90s, but before you skip to the next column, consider this: Besides the fact that the Grammy nominees have sold over 15 million records, they've always written their own material and played their own instruments, even at the ages of 16, 14 and 11 (Isaac, Taylor and Zac's respective ages at the release of their 1997 debut, Middle of Nowhere). And while most teen stars are either lamenting their glory days on "Where Are They Now?" or posing half-naked on magazine covers, the brothers have been honing their songwriting skills and creating music, regardless of the trends in the fickle world of popular music.

After 2000's This Time Around, Hanson parted ways with their label, opting to take complete control of their career by forming their own independent label, 3CG. After a sold-out acoustic club tour this fall -- which earned critical praise for its "Laurel Canyon-vibe" -- the guys released Underneath Acoustic (available at their website and at live shows), a disc featuring stripped-down versions of songs from their upcoming album, Underneath.

So why should you care? Because the music is great. Trust me. OK, if you don't trust me, trust the artists they've collaborated with: Matthew Sweet, Carole King, John Popper (Blues Traveler) and Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies), just to name a few. As on their last album, the guys have nailed classic pop songcraft by combining their impeccable sibling harmonies with both sunny and somber melodies, stretching from spunky, rhythmic pop rock to mellow blue-eyed soul. Standouts include the dark title track, the perfect pop of "Penny and Me", and the Southern rocker "Hey"

(from the December 2003 issue of Performing Songwriter)