A veteran at 26, McIntyre is just one New Kid moving back to the block this year: he joins Jordan Knight in the quest for solo credibility in the age of 'N Sync and Backstreet Boys, and he has already shown promise with the success of this disc's uplifting title ballad. His voice has definitely matured since his bubble-gum days and, thankfully, so has the music. McIntyre cowrote and produced most of the album's tracks. With its boy-woos-girl, boy-gets-girl, boy-loses-girl themes, "Stay the Same" reads very much like a concept album. The fans will lap up ballads such as "I Cried," "The Way That I Loved You," and the melodramatic "Without Your Love," but it's the uptempo numbers "Give It Up," "We Can Get Down" (both produced by ex-New Kid Donnie Wahlberg), and "I Love You Came Too Late" that will have you humming along before you realize it. "--Rebecca Wallwork"