NEWSBOYS - DEVOTION (*NEW-CD)

NEWSBOYS - DEVOTION (*NEW-CD)

Continuing in the same stylistic vein of their previous Adoration release, the Newsboys lift up yet more praise and worship in Devotion. It might be the band's most pared down effort to date, as many of the tracks are nothing more than simple four-bar rock. But while some may fret over this, no worries. Frontman Peter Furler co-wrote many of the tracks with famed songwriter-producer Steve Taylor and well-known worship leader Tim Hughes. The result is beautifully simplistic songs that focus strongly on lyrical content like the dynamic dedication of "Devotion" and "I Love Your Ways" and deep and thoughtful "The Orphan" and "Landslide of Love." For highlights there's even a guest vocal effort from fellow Aussie Rebecca St. James on "Blessed Be Your Name" and fans can't escape the radio-friendly "Presence (My Heart's Desire). Altogether, Bryan Oleson and Furler's guitars along with the driving bass lines of Phil Joel have never sounded more like U2 circa Joshua Tree. But there is enough ingenuity and Newsboys pop sensibility to escape any critical cry of plagiarism. Sixteen years running, Newsboys continue to reinvent themselves in a fresh and delightful way, never forgetting the passion that stirs their souls. --Michael Lyttle