Here & Now
On their second album, this Canadian family trio (teenaged brother and sister Amanda and Tyler and their 44-year-old dad Steve) attempt to break some new and mature musical ground while still dancing with the sort of mawkish teen-puppy tunes that brought them this far. Wholesome and utterly charming doodles like "Jimmy's Got a Girlfriend," "It Was Only a Kiss," "1999," and "Don't Look at Me Like That" are little more than energetic and ephemeral odes to underage broken hearts. Yet Amanda and Tyler both show individual flashes of vocal maturity and conviction on songs like the beautiful "Shame on Me" and a deeply felt coming-of-age ballad called "The Only Rose." On the strength of these two songs alone, the Wilkinsons' musical gifts seem destined to continue to blossom and serve them well--that is, if they manage to survive all the teen crushes and adolescent angst they sing so convincingly about here.--Bob Allen