Black & Blue
The Backstreet Boys' previous outing,Millennium, was a  tough act to follow, combining as it did the storming pop of "Larger  Than Life" and the sublime balladry of "Show Me the Meaning of Being  Lonely."Black & Blueis a worthy successor, if a slightly more  mature sound for the boys. There's plenty of uptempo pop, such as the  catchy advice dished out on "Get Another Boyfriend" and the slinky  beat-riddled R&B; of "Shining Star," nicely balanced with some smooth  ballads--you can almost hear the lighters sparking up as the Spanish  guitar gently plucks away on "I Promise You (with Everything I Am)."  However, it's when they take up immediately whereMillenniumleft off that they are at their strongest: "The Answer to Our Life" and  "Not for Me" form a sturdy bridge from their previous output onward to  the future. If this is the state of things to come, the future is  decidedly rosy for Brian, Kevin, Howie, A.J., and Nick.--Helen Marquis