Hanson Underneath: Complete 3LP

20th anniversary deluxe reissue of Hanson's seminal third album, Underneath. Originally released in 2004, it was the band's first release on their own independent record label. Underneath: Complete contains the original album plus a bonus disc of seven rare tracks and two brand new recordings.

"Penny and Me (Moonlight Version)," recorded to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Hanson's 2004 original pop-rock classic, reimagines the original through the warm pink lens of the Nick Drake Classic "Pink Moon," which was an original inspiration for the song's writing and lyrics. The finely crafted melodies in the original recording are re-cast in the Moonlight Version with a hypnotic guitar melody, lower key and slower tempo, all of which help to highlight the song's message: the power of music to tie together our most intimate and personal experiences and relationships with our highest aspirations, to make a beautiful patchwork of a life well lived.

The brothers are strong pop songwriters and what makes Underneath a better album than This Time Around is that the focus remains on the songs, with the melodies and hooks pushed toward the center. There is a bit of a dichotomy here, as the sound of the record is targeted toward adult alternative airwaves and the trio's writing is closer to power pop, but it's a pleasing dichotomy since the two aesthetics wind up complementing each other... Underneath is a satisfying album that finds the trio confidentially stepping into adulthood.