from: ccm magazine, November 2002
author: Anthony Barr-Jeffrey
website: http://www.ccmmagazine.com

»» Bring It On

Bassists are supposed to be the quiet bandmates who rarely get any attention. Scratch that thought for Newsboys' bass player Phil Joel, who returns to solo waters for the second time with a set deserving of a place alongside his full-time band's work. Bring It On continues the eclectic but smart power pop from his 2000 solo debut and showcases Joel as a more-than-capable frontman with strong vocals and melodic sensibility.

Though clocking in at a brief 37 minutes, the disc nevertheless covers a lot of musical territory, from the Black Crowes-styled grind of opener "Resolution" to the Brit-pop melancholy of "Passing Angels." The latter features gentle piano, strings and lyrics about the end of a life - "We won't say goodbye/this is not the end we know" - that are striking in their restraint.

--Anthony Barr-Jeffrey ««