DNCE

Five years ago, before The Jonas Brothers decided to hang up their collective hats for good, middle brother Joe decided it was time to experiment with a solo project. His album Fastlife showcased a desire to be the male Britney, a task which his always nearly naked younger brother Nick has now turned into a succesful career path. For Joe it didn't fully pay off. While the album reached #15 in the US album charts, it stalled at #99 in the UK and was met with a generally mixed response. Having reconsidered his options, he returned last year as the frontman of colourful popstrels DNCE with the incessant earworm Cake By The Ocean, which stormed the charts worldwide and peaked at #4 in the UK. While their single Toothbrush was met with a rather more muted response earlier this year (#49 in the UK), the quartet are hoping that their eponymous debut album will reignite the passion for their playful pop.

Taking a tip from his younger brother, Joe showed his was unafraid of talking dirty and revealing his rather finely formed body in the sexually charged video for the group's latest single Body Moves. Showcasing a grittier sound that is steeped in the rich heritage of funk and soul, DNCE move away from playground pop to try and emulate the route taken by the now globally celebrate ex-boybander Justin Timberlake.

Unfortunately the album doesn't full commit to the same sound. Having enjoyed a runaway chart hit with Cake By The Ocean the quartet lean more heavily on the cartoonish nature of their breakout single that the naughtiness of their latest.

Leaning on The Beatles' Twist and Shout for a duet with Kent Jones on Blown, DNCE hit the album's lowest point. It could have been an inspired move but the lack of anything other than a simple hook shows how the band needed to contemplate whether the album would have been stronger if a couple of songs simply ended up on the cutting room floor.

At 14 songs long, DNCE seem to have overstretched themselves for their debut release. However it is not without salvation. The hedonistic Naked packs a punch, the funk drive of Pay My Rent hits your hips and Good Day will have you singing your heart out.

DNCE don't quite deliver the powerful punch many might have expected from them on their debut album, but the record does enough to keep them on the map. With a more experimental and less formulaic approach, DNCE could be huge. And Joe can rest assured in the knowledge that it is not just taking his clothes off that sells his records.