Bangin'

Although Bangin'was not as huge as the Outfield's runaway debut, it's still another flawless piece of pop craft. This trio knows hooks and is never afraid to use them. Swirling in the center, as always, is the precise and economic guitar of John Spinkswhose sentimental songwriting becomes even more forlorn and desperate when passing though the pipes of sonorous singer Tony Lewis. Most songs are variations on the classic unrequited love theme, and thus avoid pretension like (gasp!) early Beatles. Plus, the impassioned vocal delivery over tight playing constantly pulls the listener inside the soaring songs. And in the end, the songs are all that matter. "Bangin' on My Heart," "No Surrender," "Moving Target," "Main Attraction," and "Since You've Been Gone" pack picture-perfect power punches. In fact, Bangin' maintains a consistent quality exclusive to only the upper echelon of rock. Mistakenly lost in the Police files, the Outfield are a true find, and Bangin' deserves any pop fan's attention.