Bon Jovi
Bounce

THE REVIEW

The Bon Jovi pick up where they left off, namely with "Crush" from two years ago (and it couldn't be otherwise after the eight million copies sold of that album). The New Jersey band returns with a more mature image (an important factor for those who have built part of their success on appearances), with more intense lyrics (which have inevitably been influenced by the events of September 11) and with a hyper-vitaminized and sufficiently modern pop-rock sound, always skillful in maintaining the right connections with the more mainstream market.

As a seal of a now-conquered dignity in the eyes (and ears) of those who have never taken them seriously enough, Bon Jovi once again bring out ace Desmond Child (with them since the days of the renowned "Slippery When Wet"), probably the greatest contemporary rock hit-single composer. Thus "The Distance," indeed created by the tight-knit trio Bon Jovi/Sambora/Child, charms and seduces, with melodic lines as simple as they are effective. "Undivided" immediately strikes with vehement heavy barrages, erecting a solid wall of sound. Still on the topic, "Everyday" grafts a powerful mid-tempo that has nothing to envy about the band's past successes, sanctifying the path taken with the band's latest chart-topping singles (like "It's My Life," just to be clear). In general, the album records the usual rock momentum typical of the band, preserving the undeniable glamorous pop liveliness that the Italian-American John Bon Jovi imparts to his vocal lines. And it's precisely this natural vocation of his that redeems many rather predictable episodes, like "Joey," almost an outtake of his latest solo work, or "Hook Me Up" (which I adore). With "All About Lovin' You," "Right Side Of Wrong," and "You Had Me From Hello," the five Americans serve us the usual ballads (more or less pianistic and/or symphonic and/or acoustic) that have crowded their records, in similar versions, for more than fifteen years. However, the brilliance of the title track (an unstoppable chorus even though we've heard it a thousand times) and "Love Me Back To Life" (dreamy atmosphere with guitar/orchestral bursts) partly redeem an album that risks continuously collapsing under too many inconclusive slow pieces (never as much as in this album).

Bon Jovi have managed to pass through trends unscathed, evolve their sound without denaturing it, and even gain critical acclaim. For about a decade now, they have settled on simply surviving on past glories, and "Bounce" appears as another step toward a well-deserved retirement.