The Ringing Bell

Webb has described the record as a rock record but that "it's fitting that it would be a hard thing to categorize that you couldn't just call it a rock record, that it would be too easy." He also stated that the song "Name" was "probably as close to a thesis as the record has." It carries Webb's theme that "categories in general are not helpful...it's hard to live in a world of categories when really what we need is to know each other and to engage each other and not to let our categories do the talking."

Webb has stated in response to some of his lyrics in "A Love That's Stronger Than Our Fear" and "A Savior on Capitol Hill", which generated talk that Webb was against the George Bush administration, that "I'm not anti-Bush at all...all things considered he deserves the benefit of the doubt and I want to give it to him...This has nothing to do with any specific people."^[2]

More information Review scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Beyond The Turntable	[4]
CCM Magazine	[5]
Christian Broadcasting Network	[6]
Christianity Today	[7]
Cross Rhythms	[8]
Indie Vision Music	[9]
Jesus Freak Hideout	[10]
Patrol Magazine	[11]
PopMatters	[12]

Close

The Ringing Bell received universally positive reviews from Christian critics. The review site Patrol gave the album a nine on the site's ten-point scale – a record high – praising its "substance." Paste Magazine gave The Ringing Bell a 5 out of 5 and ranked it No. 27 on their Top 100 albums of 2007.^[13]