Good Boy JoBros try Maturity

If there’s one thing the Jonas Brothers want you to take away from their latest release, “Lines, Vines and Trying Times,” it’s that the boys are growing up.

Drifting slightly from their sugarcoated Disney selves, the JoBros show a mature side in this album, going outside of the sappy puppy-love songs that characterized the band’s 2008 release, “A Little Bit Longer.” This time, the subject matter is more complicated, their lyrics darker, their melodies richer and more complex.

Despite its obvious dig at Joe’s ex-flame and country princess Taylor Swift (“Got a rep for breakin’ hearts / Now I’m done with superstars / And all the tears on her guitar / I’m not bitter”), the best song on the album is “Much Better.” It’s an infectious, 1980s-inspired track about finding contentment with someone new.

Adding to the amusement of 15-year-olds everywhere is the fact when Nick Jonas sings, “I wanna fight with you” on the track, it doesn’t sound at all like he’s saying “fight.” Think about it for a little bit. Yeah, you know where this one is going.

The ballads, however, are where the JoBros really shine. Barring its cliche metaphor comparing life to a racetrack, “Turn Right” is a sweet number with a string section that joins the beautiful “Black Keys” as one of the most memorable songs.

The band also has help from some notable guests on this album, including vocals from fellow Disney Channel star Miley Cyrus on “Before the Storm” and riffs from famed blues guitarist Jonny Lang, adding some depth to their tracks.

There are, of course, a few saccharine songs younger fans will wear out from overplay. The peppy “Fly with Me” and “Hey Baby” hearken back to the Jonas sound of yore, complete with power pop chords and cheesy guitar solos.

The most awkward moment on the album comes courtesy of a collaboration with rapper Common titled “Don’t Charge Me for the Crime.” Though the JoBros deserve some props for branching into different genres, which they also do on the country-inspired “What Did I Do To Your Heart?” this attempt at a hip-hop song is a jumbled, disingenuous mess, complete with police sirens, gun shots and complaints about the crumbling state of the American dream. If anyone would know about life on the streets and hard crime, it’s the Jonas Brothers.

To the further delight of JoBros disparagers, the jokes on the brothers’ very public declarations of sexual purity practically write themselves on this album. “World War III” describes youngest brother Nick walking in on an upset girlfriend in a bedroom somewhere, and “Poison Ivy” compares being in love to having a stubborn ... erm ... rash, in lyrics like, “Everybody gets the itch / Everybody hates that.” A pause at the end of those lyrics implies the word “bitch.” Edgy, JoBros, edgy.

It’s sometimes painfully obvious that the Jonas Brothers are trying very hard to be serious, intellectual artists. Just read the title of the album. Lucky for them, they may be well on their way.

If not, the three of them can count on the fact that teen angst, unlike their faux-hipster outfits and overly styled hair, will never go out of style.