Once upon a time in the early 2000s, the Backstreet Boys were one of the biggest boy bands in the world, and had screaming adolescent girls at their feet. Then things started to go wrong for the band. One of them began dabbling in recreational drugs, another took a wrong turn with alcohol, and one of their shining stars, Nick Carter, decided to hit the solo path.

Fast track to 2005, and the boys were back, sober and drug-free ,and ready to show the world that they have not lost their magic touch with their newest album, Never Gone. Despite their four-year hiatus, the fans are still strong and their music has not changed too much. They still have the sugar-coated lyrics and the harmonies that made the band big in the first place. The only thing that has changed is that their music has matured, along with the boys. This could probably be their most personal album to date, as the songs reflect the changes that have come with growing up. In an essence the band has gone from being the pop boy band, to a band of men, who know exactly all the marketing tricks to keep their fans true to them.

This album was a surprise for me, as I expected it to be similar to their other music. In essence it is, yet the album is actually really good too. Like the others, it is filled with ballad style songs, but then the Backstreet Boys are never going to be hard rockers. It's not their style.

However, the band has changed, and they recruited big guns to help elevate them back to fame. They not only used a Darryn Hayes penned song, but also team up with John Shanks, who has worked with Sheryl Crow, Kelly Clarkson, Ashlee Simpson, and Hilary Duff. The boy's have stayed true to form, and they manage to slide gracefully through each song, almost as if they have not been apart for four years. The songs are fluffy pop, but it's the type of music the boys are best with.

It's not surprising that their comeback was so successful, and it's a step in the right direction for the boys. Songs not to be missed: "Just Want You To Know," "I Still," "Siberia," and the co-penned Kevin Richardson track, "Never Gone."