It's Only Time
Drake Bell would like to take some time and tell you what he really wants to say, or at least that's what he sings on "Rusted Silhouette," one of the thoroughly charming pop tunes he glides through on this, his major-label debut. What he put thought into saying onIt's Only Timeisn't exactly earth-shattering--the teen-targeted, relationship stuff he's spouting has been set forth a million different ways before. But there's something in Bell's punched-up delivery and the sunniness of his Beatles-inspired music that compels the helpless listener--even if she's not 11, even if she's never heard of his Nickelodeon TV showDrake & Josh--to keep humming along. That something is charisma. Not only does Bell have excellent hair, as throngs of swollen-hearted admirers have observed on fan sites, he also has a regular-dude persona he's skilled at channeling with just his voice. He's the guy every guy wants, or wanted, to be in high school: cool, chummy, a babe magnet. Former geeks and goths may take issue, but expect an eventual conversion.It's Only Time,most likely, and Bell knows it.--Tammy La Gorce