It's never easy for a television personality to be taken seriously when trying to segue into the world of pop music, but to his credit, this Nickelodeon fixture makes a mighty credible bid with his full-length debut. Rather than attempt to coast along in the wake of Justin Timberlake, Bell goes for a blast-from-the-past vibe on It's Only Time, setting a mood that's...
Read moreIt's never easy for a television personality to be taken seriously when trying to segue into the world of pop music, but to his credit, this Nickelodeon fixture makes a mighty credible bid with his full-length debut. Rather than attempt to coast along in the wake of Justin Timberlake, Bell goes for a blast-from-the-past vibe on It's Only Time, setting a mood that's part power-pop, part sunny California rock and uniformly focused on the creation of tunes that stick in the head after one listen. That's true of "I Know," a revved-up sing-along that conjures up images of Swinging London, circa 1966, as well as the more melancholy "Do What You Want," which coasts along on a wave of keyboards that Elton John could easily hang ten on. Bell goes all out to make the disc as involving as it is enjoyable -- sneaking in hidden bits of dialogue and silly sounds on tracks like "Up Periscope" -- and he connects far more often than he swings and misses. That's especially evident on the ambitious, four-song closing suite -- which he's said was inspired by the similarly constructed second side of the Beatles' Abbey Road. Admittedly, he's no Lennon or McCartney, but the break-up themes -- not to mention the creamy melodies -- of "Break Me Down" and "Rusted Silhouette" exhibit both the instincts and the talent to craft pop songs that fans will be singing long into the future.
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