18 Til I Die

After experiencing enormous success in the early '90s with a handful of soundtrack contributions, Bryan Adams returned in 1996 with 18 til I Die, his first full-length album in five years. Since 1991's "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You," Adams' biggest hits have been big, sweeping power ballads; evidently constrained by that middle-of-the-road persona, 18 til I Die attempts to return to the rockin' good-time vibes of his earlier records. The sound is grunged up a little, and he appears on the album cover in a bizarrely glitzy mod suit -- all meant to telegraph the message that even as Adams approaches 40, he remains a hip teen at heart. Of course, the music doesn't prove that to be true. He turns up the guitars for "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You," "Black Pearl," and "(I Wanna Be) Your Underwear," but that sort of raunch prevents the album from being much fun -- he's simply trying too hard. On the effortless ballads, Adams remains a rock-solid adult contemporary craftsman, writing songs with embarrassingly catchy hooks and melodies. Unfortunately, the ballads don't sit comfortably alongside the rockers -- they sound like the work of two different artists, one trying to sing to baby boomers, the other desperately trying to connect with teens. And while Adams might believe he'll stay a teenager until the end, he's most honest when singing songs to adults like himself.