You Got It All / Make It Real

The Jets

You Got It All

Make It Real

by Bryan Buss

While many teen acts of the late '80s were leaning toward 2 Live Crew-type antics to get attention, the Jets, a circle of siblings from Minnesota, stuck with the wholesomeness embraced by Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, and New Kids on the Block. Never bowing to the R&B-flavored dance/pop that was popular at the time, the Wolfgramm family recorded both upbeat tunes and ballads, but with a distinct niceness. There's nothing threatening about the group's music, and that is its charm. The ballads off Magic, especially "Make it Real," "Anytime," and "When You're Young and in Love," have such innocent appeal they could stand with some of the classic teen ballads from the '50s and '60s. This is because there is something earnest in the chocolately velvet vocals of Moana and Elizabeth Wolfgramm, who often sing lead. The upbeat tunes, including the hit "Cross My Broken Heart" from the Beverly Hills Cop II soundtrack, the affirming "I Do You," and the goofy "Rocket 2 U," never bow to shameless sex or shock appeal to work. If anything, some of the tracks could use edgier production because there's almost something too cushy about them. Overall, though, this album stands apart simply because, for all of its timeless appeal, it is remindful of youth without seeming juvenile -- a formula few pop artists ever seem to master.

You Got It All / Make It Real

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