Making their June comeback record, "Never Gone," the Backstreet Boys got a chance to do something they never did the first time around -- relax.

In a recent group interview, Nick Carter, 25, said he and his bandmates -- Brian Littrell, 30, Alexander "A.J." McLean, 27, Howie Dorough, 31, and Kevin Richardson, 33 -- took 18 months to make "Never Gone." Such a long recording period would have been inconceivable when they were putting together their last studio album, "Black & Blue" (2000).

At that time, they were still caught up in the teen-pop craze that made them one of the most popular groups in the world. Now, they operate with less fanfare.

"The pace (for 'Black & Blue') was like, 'Let's get the record done! Got to get it going! Got to get it going!'," Carter said. "I remember we were like, 'Wouldn't it be great to have as much time in the world as we can to do a record, and do it the right way?' Our artistic side was just basically screaming out."

With its slick harmonies, bombastic arrangements and sentimental lyrics, "Never Gone" isn't a major departure from what Backstreet Boys fans have come to expect. But it should satisfy those looking for a nostalgic experience, as should the quintet's summer tour, which begins Friday in West Palm Beach, Fla., and comes to New York on Wednesday; Atlantic City, July 29; Holmdel, July 31, and Camden, Aug. 13.

Like their fellow teen-pop superstars ('N Sync, the Spice Girls, Britney Spears), the Backstreet Boys were once known for their lavish stage productions.

"We've simplified our show from all the blowing-everything-up-on stage productions that we've done in the past," McLean said. "I think now as we've gotten older and the music doesn't really lend itself to all the big acrobatics and pyrotechnics, it's just going back to the basics again -- going back to good quality music, and having fun on stage."

During their hiatus, Carter released a solo album ("Now or Never," 2002) and toured solo. Richardson starred in the Broadway production of "Chicago."

The most significant developments for other members took place offstage. Littrell and his wife had their first child, a son. McLean rebuilt his life after undergoing rehab for drug and alcohol addiction.

Richardson said that when he was acting in "Chicago," he was often approached after the show for autographs.

"The question (always) was, 'Are you guys broken up? And if not, then when's the new album (coming out)?'," he said. "I would say, 'No, we haven't broken up. We're just taking a well-needed break, and when the time is right, we will get back together.'"

Other members felt the same way. Their 2001 compilation was optimistically titled "The Hits: Chapter One."

McLean's problems led, indirectly, to chapter two. He was booked to discuss his struggle with addiction on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 2003, and his ex-partners decided to show their support by making a surprise appearance, en masse.

"The feeling was just there again," Carter said.

Richardson said that before McLean went into rehab, "he wasn't very reliable. We couldn't trust in him, we couldn't believe in him. So we had to rebuild that trust and work on that trust. But once we all started meeting together again and saw each other face to face, and I looked into A.J.'s eyes and I saw that he was clear, and that the old Alex was back, there were no doubts."