They're far from new, no longer boys, but New Kids on the Block have definitely been around the block since making tween girls scream with joy in the late '80s and early '90s before breaking up in 1994.

Baby-faced Joey McIntyre gained fans on TV's "Dancing with the Stars" in 2005. Mark Wahlberg's older brother Donnie has sustained a successful acting career. Four out of the five guys, all pushing 40, have kids.

"The Block," the pop-R&B's group's reunion album, comes 20 years after 1988's "Hangin' Tough" went multiplatinum. The guys, including Danny Wood and brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, look handsomely rugged now, a sure draw for old-time female fans, now in their mid 20s to 30s.

Songs such as "2 In the Morning" and "Summertime" have an undeniable retro groove: "I think about you in the summertime, and all the good times we had, baby," the guys reminisce in unison on "Summertime," an upbeat, head-bopping tune. "2 In The Morning" makes a questionably cheesy reference to TV's "Grey's Anatomy," but is the kind of late-night R&B soul made for couples in need of some soothing.

The album's myriad producers and writers, including Bryan-Michael Cox, Emmanuel Kiriakou, RedOne, Fernando and Nazaree, layer on the sleekness. NKOTB are back, boys to men.

"Click Click Click," a breathy slow jam riding on handclaps and vocal trills, takes a page from the Justin Timberlake handbook. Timberlake's former boy band 'N Sync may have climbed the mountain NKOTB built, but the reunited quintet now looks to the anointed Timberlake for guidance.

There are throwaway songs (i.e. the lyrically cliche "Sexify My Love" and "Twisted"), and appearances by Ne-Yo and Akon don't necessarily boost NKOTB's cred. But "Full Service," while run through the synth ringer, effectively features NKOTB forefathers New Edition crooning along to a bouncy rhythm.

CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: "Grown Man," a melding of old-school and new featuring the Pussycat Dolls and producer/singer Teddy Riley, is a catchy, swaggering number, with the Dolls adding a musical twist on Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools." ''I'm gonna give you some grown man," the guys boast behind loose drum beats.

By SOLVEJ SCHOU
Associated Press Writer

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