Lines, Vines and Trying Times

It's come to this: The Jonas Brothers are writing lyrics that include the word "bitch." To be fair, the term is just implied in the song "Poison Ivy." The full lyric is "Everybody gets the itch/Everybody hates that" with the final word bleeped out—but you get the point. It's one of the many signs on "Lines, Vines and Trying Times" that the Jonas Brothers are trying to distance themselves from their bubble-gum pop heritage: The track "Don't Charge Me for the Crime" features the rapper Common and the wail of a police scanner, and the blues guitarist Jonny Lang plays lead on "Hey Baby." While it's commendable for the trio to try to break out of its teen dream box, it's on songs like "Before the Storm"—featuring Miley Cyrus—where the brothers prove they're still among the best at putting the fizz in pop culture. Don't be so quick to grow up, guys.