from: cdnow.com, 11-12-1999
author: Lisa Zhito
website: http://www.cdnow.com

»» Newsboys
Love Liberty Disco

Veteran Christian rockers Newsboys took a peek into dance territory on their last release, 1998's Step Up to the Microphone. On Love Liberty Disco , the affable Aussies step wholeheartedly onto the dance floor, giving us a series of disco and new wave-inflected tunes that are equally fun and frothy.

There's a certain amount of camp to this nostalgia business, and the point's not lost on these guys: The album cover shows them cavorting in all-white Saturday Night Fever suits, and they sing about God backed by cheesy string arrangements circa 1979. But Tony Manero would never be caught dead with lead singer Peter Furler's bald pate, nor would Furler attempt a Bee Gee falsetto -- Love Liberty Disco is more homage to the spirit of those times than a true retro endeavor.

That may sound strange to anyone who remembers the excesses of that era. Band members say their intent was to compare Christianity to the sense of family and belonging disco denizens found beneath the mirrored ball. It's a feel-good approach to faith -- "hey, everyone, come on in and join the party" -- which the album's lack of lyrical depth never quite dispels.

That said, Love Liberty Disco spreads its happy message with some surprisingly infectious tunes. "Forever Man," "I Would Give Everything" and "Say You Need Love" hearken back to the peppy, electric pop of the early '80s. Meanwhile, Furler's raw vocals on songs like "Good Stuff" maintain the bratty insolence that has long characterized the Newsboys sound. Life may be great in this disco, but the 'Boys still can't suppress some teenage in-your-face rebelliousness.

It's too bad the guys didn't choose to explore this rebellious itch here; instead, their endless repetition on the "God loves you" theme makes Love Liberty Disco a fun and enjoyable romp but not nearly as satisfying as it could have been.

Lisa Zhito ««