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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Underrated sophomore effort from Outfield, December 22, 2003
It's a mystery why the Outfield's sophomore effort, or should that be second inning? didn't yield many runs, because it should have. The catchy characteristic guitar riffs from John Spinks and Tony Lewis's wailing vocals that made "Your Love" a hit are still present in "Somewhere In America", a grim song about the competitive nature of America, where "a joker deals and makes the rules/a game of chance, a game that was made for fools/like me and you." Other songs too share those attributes, but maybe it's because the consistency in sound sacrificed anything that could be picked out as a single, at least by the record company. I for one have singled out a few that could've helped push more units of this album."Bangin' On My Heart" has guitar chords worthy of a Bryan Adams song from Reckless and could've been a single. Just when one's heart is settled from someone who was just not another girl, her returning is the last thing one needs, right? "No Surrender" was the second single and despite the quick rhythm guitar played over the synths, and the slow lyrics, it's easy to see why this didn't make the Top 40. Why wasn't "Moving Target" a single? Again, Spinks' characteristic guitars in the chorus make this rocker worthy of radio play. The psychological exhaustion comes from being a moving target and the inevitability of one's end makes it kind of a bummer, as Lewis sings "No need to shoot me down, my time will come." Another singleworthy track is the mid-paced ballad "Long Way Home", which has a Bryan Adams-like sound a la Into The Fire. That old scenario of seeing someone across a crowded room and wanting to talk to her, but only being able to dream of that is the theme of "Alone With You." It's a ballad with more intensity than "Everytime You Cry" from their first album. "Main Attraction" is kind of muted, but their equivalent of an all-out rocker about a girl who's the title attraction. It's not specific what she is, presumably a stripper or something. A standout cut, and second best cut here. Finally, best for last. The first single, the yearning "Since You've Been Gone" was the only one from Bangin' that cracked the Top 40, and again, Spinks' representative power chords that pushed them to the Top Ten with "Your Love." This deserved a Top Ten charting at least. A more consistent and stronger sound is present on Bangin', which despite the filler tracks, proves the Outfield was good enough for a second inning.
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by The Outfield 
