Drake Bell, who was born here and went to Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana, is a tweeny bopper with a fixation on music made before he was born. Bell, best known as Drake on Nickelodeon kiddie sitcom “Drake & Josh,” pays homage to John Lennon, Paul McCartney and even Davie Jones on “It’s Only Time,” his major record label debut. This record is for kids,think 7 to 17. But parents shuttling kids to school and soccer practice will get a kick out of Bell’s obsession with 1960s and early 1970s pop, which he mixes with more contemporary stuff. Bell shows his age in his music. Some of the songwriting is immature and undeveloped. But Bell is no Hilary Duff or Britney Spears. He gives thought to his music and shows good taste in his influences. “I Know,” the CD’s single, mixes Lennon-style piano with vocals somewhere between McCartney and Jones. The title track is a more updated bit of catchy pop. Parental warning: Bell, 20, gets more risqu & #233; on “Up Periscope,” with its sexual lyrics and vague innuendo. They take a listen to pick up on and are second to the song’s “Yellow Submarine” meets The Monkees motif. For all Bell’s attempts at serious songwriting, this still is a pop idol CD. It includes an acoustic version of “Found A Way,” the catchy theme song he wrote for “Drake & Josh.” An included DVD includes a music video and footage of Bell demonstrating how to play “Found A Way” on guitar.
,Michael Lyster
