Pastor Dave Hanley’s musical project
Press Play offered an interesting mix of pop and rock on their debut album, but on their sophomore effort they’ve upped the dance-pop influence. The good news is that the shift fits the group like a sparkly white glove, and while
the Black Eyed Peas are the obvious secular influence, there’s also a
Michael Jackson-sized ambition here that aims to change the world with epic pop. Check the grand piano-driven “My Everything” for one the group’s biggest numbers to date or try the rather huge closer “Forever” for a bit of that power ballad flavor that dominated the group’s debut. Most everything else is designed to get listeners to move and praise on the dancefloor with the title track -- and that stands for “New York to L.A.” -- being the easy pick. Some fans might miss the rock elements of their first album, but most will find
NY2LA a slick step in the right direction. ~ David Jeffries