Review: 'The Block' from New Kids on the Block NewsDay

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

"The Block"



THE GRADE B BOTTOM LINE The year's most potent reunion and maybe its biggest surprise

Certain expectations come with reunion albums, especially ones where the group has been apart longer than they were together.

But New Kids on the Block's "The Block" (Interscope) confounds them all. Not only does the Boston quintet's first new album in 14 years surpass the usual cobbled-together-so-we-can-tour reunion record, it is actually the best album of their multiplatinum career.

Unlike their most successful albums, including "Hangin' Tough" from 20 years ago, "The Block" isn't an all-Starr - impresario Maurice Starr - affair but a collection of some of the best collaborations with some of today's hottest songwriters.

In fact, the amiable first single, "Summertime," is a bit of a red herring. The rest of "The Block" is far from safe or laid-back. There are bold dance numbers, such as "Grown Man," featuring the Pussycat Dolls and Teddy Riley, that wrap up elements of Aretha soul, boy-band harmonies and today's R&B in a slick package. There are such songs as the pretty collaboration with Ne-Yo, "Single," which show off the New Kids' still-strong vocals, especially from Joey McIntyre and Jordan Knight. And there's a bona fide smash-in-waiting with "Put It on My Tab," a T-Pain-styled club song helmed by Akon that is sure to make even the staunchest haters do a double-take.

"The Block" may not break any ground musically, but it's actually strong enough to make people reconsider the New Kids' entire career and wonder what will come next.