Lines, Vines and Trying Times

Lines, Vines and Trying Times is the Jonas Brothers' fourth studio album which was released on June 16, 2009 by Hollywood Records.
It is the third & last album released under Hollywood Records, and their last album before the group's five-year hiatus (which lasted from October 2013 to March 2019)
==Tracklisting==
#World War III	3:12
#Paranoid	3:38
#Fly With Me	3:54
#Poison Ivy	4:07
#Hey Baby	3:18
#Before The Storm	4:26
#What Did I Do To Your Heart	3:17
#Much Better	4:34
#Black Keys	3:48
#Don't Charge Me For The Crime (featuring Common) 3:57
#Turn Right	2:48
#Don't Speak	3:50
#Keep It Real (Bonus Track)	2:51
==Album Background==
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Nick Jonas explained the album title as "a bit of poetry we came up with on the set for the TV show." 
On the meaning he stated, "Lines are something that someone feeds you, whether it's good or bad. Vines are the things that get in the way of the path that you're on, and trying times — well, obviously we're younger guys, but we're aware of what's going on in the world and we're trying to bring some light to it." 
He noted, "this new album for us, I wouldn’t say it’s a big jump, but it definitely is a progression in our music and a growth for us. It has a lot more kinds of horns and a lot more strings." 
Added Joe Jonas, "there’s more to the music rather than just a typical kind of relationship song."
In another interview, Nick Jonas explained that the album is "our journal in songs," mostly about "all things we've gone through, personal experiences we get inspiration from." He also added that "we've also been working on trying to use metaphors...to kind of mask a literal thing that happens to us." 
Kevin Jonas also added that "the overall message is it's the same old Jonas Brothers, in a sense" and that they will be adding "different musical instruments that are going to add and build to the sound we already have." 
The musical influences for this album include Elvis Costello, The Zutons, Coldplay and Neil Diamond.
==Chart Performance==
In its first week, "Lines, Vines and Trying Times" sold 247,000 copies, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200.
==Critical Reception==
The reviews for "Lines, Vines and Trying Times" were mixed from both critics and fans, saying that it was "premature."
According to review aggregator Metacritic, the album has received mixed or average reviews, scoring 56 out of 100 points based on 11 reviews.
Allmusic named "overthinking and over-production" as the album's main flaws, and noted that the group's combination of "teen pop that skews adult in its sound and form" seemed effortless on their previous album, A Little Bit Longer, but felt that on Lines the "seams are showing."
Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune claimed, "The rush to maturity is, well, premature," and added that "the strings and horns [...] only bog things down."
Entertainment Weekly criticized "Don't Charge Me for the Crime," calling it "the sonic equivalent of being held at gunpoint by a baby rabbit," but praised "Black Keys" as being the most honest track, adding that "its quiet brushstrokes of teenage despair easily transcend Lines' misdemeanor mutinies."
The New York Daily News criticized "World War III," saying, "it sounds like they just pulled a collective hernia."
==Promotion==
The Jonas Brothers were promoting the album on their 2009 world tour which began on May 18, 2009 in Lima, Peru.
The track "Fly with Me" was featured during the end credits of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. 
They have hosted three live web chats via Facebook (May 7, May 28 and June 4) to promote the album.
The Jonas Brothers performed songs off the album for a Wal-Mart Soundcheck concert which was released on June 9, 2009.
On June 12, 2009, they performed on Good Morning America as part of GMA's Summer Concert Series.
Radio Disney premiered all the songs from the album over a period of four days between June 11 and June 14, 2009.
On June 21, 2009, they co-hosted and performed at the 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards.
The Jonas Brothers appeared on various television programs to promote the album which included: Live with Regis & Kelly, Late Show with David Letterman, Good Morning America, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Larry King Live, The Today Show, Ellen and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
On August 9, 2009, the Jonas Brothers hosted the 2009 Teen Choice Awards along with performing "Much Better".
Category:2000s albums
Category:Pop
Category:Pop Rock
Category:Jonas Brothers albums