New Kids on the Block – Step by Step (35th Anniversary Edition)

New Kids on the Block's Step By Step arrived in 1990 as the group's fourth studio album, at the height of the first great boy-band boom. The title track went to No. 1, and this record catches NKOTB pushing beyond pure bubblegum into a slightly tougher, more self-conscious pop sound while still leaning hard on the huge choruses that made them stars.

That mix of polish and ambition is what makes Step By Step more than a nostalgia piece. Alongside the massive title song, singles like “Tonight” helped keep the album in heavy rotation, while deeper cuts show the band and their producers trying to broaden the formula rather than simply repeat Hangin’ Tough. It is a clean snapshot of early-90s mainstream pop, when teen-pop spectacle was getting bigger, slicker, and more confident.

This 35th anniversary edition also has a genuine vinyl story behind it: it is the first time the album has been available on LP since its original 1990 release. For collectors who know NKOTB mainly through the biggest hits, this is a useful chance to hear one of their defining albums as a full-length statement rather than just a singles source.

Features

• 35th Anniversary Edition
• First vinyl reissue since the original 1990 release
• Made in France

Reviews

• a more serious, harder-sounding album. - AllMusic.com