Though they will doubtless be categorized as such, the members of the British group BBMak -- Mark Barry, Christian Burns, and Ste McNally -- certainly distinguish themselves as more than just another boy band. They each play their own instruments and together wrote more than half of the tunes on this, their inspired U.S. debut, executive-produced by Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls).

BBMak has already topped the singles chart in Japan and four other countries with the album's chunky leadoff single, "Back Here." There's no mistaking that Sooner or Later is aimed at the well-saturated teen market, but the music here is carried along by a refreshing sensibility largely absent from the majority of today's teen-centric material. While there's no earth-shattering messages here, there's nothing any self-respecting adolescent today would be embarrassed to admit liking in, say, another 5 to 10 years, either.

Highlights include the commanding "Unpredictable," the Wham!-influenced "Love on the Outside," and the soulful, harmony-soaked "Ghost of You and Me." Best of all, BBMak is clearly not content to peddle physical beauty over musical brawn, though the group's plenty of both to spare. George Michael (both pre- and post-Wham!) would be proud.