As a reviewer, you often receive music you don't like. One of the oddest releases of 2001 was a group of 5 tweens performing power pop under the name of Jump5. As a music fan past his teens, a release like that can be embarrassing to listen to. But the realization is simple: the album is not for the college crowd, and up.

All The Time In the World is the quintet's sophomore project on Sparrow Records. The new record is heavily geared towards the younger crowd with the new release being promoted mightily accompanied with "back to school" gear, complete with Jump5 backpacks, pens, keychains, flashlights, etc. While bands meant for the mature audiences may find Jump5 to be more of a joke (as well as most people over the age of 13 or 14), their music is primarily for the younger audiences. Jump5 fills in the gap for a happy medium, creating music that has found its way to even Radio Disney and other mainstream places. The group's popularity is baffling, but when pondered, actually understandable. The sugary sweet power pop that painfully inundates the music industry today, through the likes of early Britney Spears and any of the many boy bands who have worn out their welcome, creates an open door for these five youngsters to make a difference. We know where their hearts are and their goal is made clear.

Jump5 has basically picked up where Raze left off. Raze used similar joyous bouncy styles to reach a younger audience. Now, in Jump5's case, the younger audience is setting out to reach their peers. "All I Can Do" is a giddy dance track with a cotton candy sweetness, while "Throw Your Hands Up" has more of that Raze feel with a chorus unmistakably reminiscent of Out of Eden. "Summer Song" is a super catchy song, while "Joyride" has a chorus melody that feels like a throwback to some of the bubble gum pop of the 80s.

The surprisingly short album (just 38 minutes) contains merely eight new songs with three remixes tacked onto the end. What could have helped the record would have been less remixes and more original tunes, or to tuck the remixes at the end after a more complete, 10-track (or more) record. Without the remixes, All The Time In the World just feels like an EP.

With All The Time in the World, Jump5 puts together a fun project for the young masses who dig the sounds of mainstream pop, but could use some Christ-centered new songs to feast their ears on. The older audiences might not really get it, but then again, we're not meant to.

- Review date: 8/18/02, written by J.D.