In an era when boy bands generally are maligned by critics and adored by fans, the trio that often is credited with starting the movement is an anomaly.

The last time the Hanson brothers hit Central Florida, they played the Orlando Arena. Two years later, siblings Isaac, Taylor and Zac return for a concert date Tuesday at the much smaller Hard Rock Live at Universal Orlando CityWalk.

Compared with the teen adulation for the undeniably infectious "MMMBop," Hanson`s sophomore album, This Time Around, is yielding widespread critical praise but relatively disappointing sales. The new album has a long way to go to equal the 8 million figure logged by the group`s 1997 debut, Middle of Nowhere.

In Rolling Stone, a critic lauds Hanson`s "deepened harmonies, their expanding instrumental prowess and Taylor`s increasingly sexy, bluesy growl. The band`s duds are easier on the stomach than `N Sync`s best efforts."

Yet the band faces a daunting task in sparking interest in music rather than image. Not an easy mission when teens might tend to indentify the trio as "the cute one" (Taylor), "the tall one" (Isaac) and "the little one" (Zac).

And teen magazines don`t focus much on what it`s like to write all the songs for an album, something that sets Hanson apart from those slickly choreographed boy bands.

In the teen-pop revolution, radio programmers, including some in Orlando, aren`t pushing aside `N Sync to play the new harder-edged rock and soul sound of the album`s title track and debut single. "This Time Around" has received no airplay on Orlando pop station 106.7 FM (WXXL).

"I know they have a loyal fan base that`s very Internet savvy, but the album sales have been disappointing," said Adam Cook, XL program director. "I think Hanson became one of those bad words, like the Bee Gees were in the 1980s."

But it`s too early to book Hanson for an edition of VH-1`s Where Are They Now? The brothers are proud of the musical development represented on This Time Around, which includes guest performances by blues guitarist Jonny Lang and Blues Traveler harmonica virtuoso John Popper.

You don`t see those guys on the liner notes for `N Sync.

"I apologize," Taylor Hanson, 17, says dramatically when reminded of the group`s role in paving the way for boy bands. "It`s so odd because people still kind of put us in that category.

"But I would challenge anyone to listen to This Time Around for five minutes and put us in that category again."

Nor does he consider the new album`s stylistic changes a risky move when fans might have expected "MMMBop" II.

"It really wasn`t a move," Taylor said. "It wasn`t like we said, `Now we`ll do a slightly more mature album.` The things we discussed and wrote about on the first record were about a lot of the same things we wrote about on the second. We write about being sad, about being happy, about being depressed, about life, about passions.

"It`s time and life experiences and different things that are happening and affecting the way you write songs. We`re all better musicians than we were last time. It`s all been an evolution."

For Hanson, the evolution started as youngsters in their native Tulsa, Okla. The three brothers were raised in a family of seven brothers and sisters, including nonperforming siblings Jessica, 12, Avery, 10, Mackenzie, 7, and Zoe, 2. The children are home-schooled by their parents, Diana and Walker Hanson.

Isaac, 19, Taylor and Zac, 14, started performing eight years ago, singing at wedding receptions, pizza parlors and anywhere they could find an audience. In 1995, they began playing instruments: Isaac is the guitarist; Taylor is the keyboardist; and Zac is the drummer.

A year later, in 1996, they caught the attention of a Mercury Records executive at a show in Kansas. They signed a record contract and almost single-handedly pushed the Seattle grunge sound to the cultural backburner with "MMMBop."

Three years later, Isaac recognizes that it takes more than a song to launch a hit record.

"It`s one of these unusual things," Isaac says. "It`s a matter of the time and a matter of timing. You just cross your fingers.

"People keep talking about the new album being a lot more mature, but I think there`s a lot more similarities than differences. It`s still definitely pop music."

Although the oldest Hanson can`t define what makes a hit record, he knows plenty about the dynamics of touring with two younger brothers. For instance, Isaac isn`t the mature one.

Although Zac is the youngest, his brothers call him the "father figure" of the group because of his knack for keeping his brothers on task.

"He has an unabashed ability to cut through all the crap," Isaac says. "He`s the man when it comes to that. He lays down the beat and he lays down the law."

And the youngest Hanson thinks more about playing the 250-plus video games in the group`s tour bus than any competition from boy bands that don`t play instruments.

"I know that I`m going to keep doing this for a long time," Zac says. "If the fans don`t get it this time, they will get it next time. Eventually, they will get who the band is. After a while, if you`re around long enough, people can`t help but notice you."

Adds Taylor:

"We`ve been getting rave reviews, which is better than tons of people talking about it badly. That would not be as good."