In Brief

Weaned on soul oldies and the Jackson 5, the Hanson brothers (ages 11, 14 and 16) are the kids behind the song “MMMBop,” a lighthearted dollop of nonsensical pop. On the Hansons’ major-label debut, the Dust Brothers spike the trio’s untiring spunk with needed hip-hop spice on two tracks, moving the refreshing yet familiar slow-groove ballads and up-with-people funk beyond mere kiddie fare. Cute and contagious.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four stars (excellent).

Hear the Music

* Excerpts from these albums and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: https://ukobiw.net/soundclips