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By: Ashley Pagano

When Boys Like Girls, the band from Boston, Massachusetts, first released their self-titled album, their fan base grew rapidly. Songs from their first album like “Hero-Heroine” and “The Great Escape” were all over the radio stations. On February 10^th, 2009, lead singer Martin Johnson told fans through the bands website, that they were recording a new album. The album, Love Drunk, which shares the same title as their hit single from the album, was released on September 8^th. Now fans can hear just what the band’s sophomore album holds.

The new record seems to have a more pop sound than their first album. I immediately was reminded of All Time Low when I heard the first track “Heart Heart Heartbreak”. The songs seem like they would be appealing to a younger audience. The song has a remarkable guitar solo towards the end of the song, but the lyrics were a letdown for me.

“Love Drunk”, the track that everyone heard first, was a pretty decent song. Once again, I was lyrically unimpressed, but as far as the melody and vocals, this song nailed it. On top of all that, the key change at the end of the song is perfection because it keeps it from sounding repetitive and boring.

Boys Like Girls released their second single from the album “She’s Got A Boyfriend Now” on August 11^th. This song again was catchy more than anything. It was very upbeat and makes you want to dance.

“Two Is Better Than One” is probably my favorite song on the album. It features country singer, Taylor Swift, and I felt that it had more meaning within the song. Taylor also adds a lot to the song with her powerful vocals, and really changes the sound of the song. It’s a beautiful and touching song, and changes the mood completely, compared to the first few tracks.

“Contagious” is another song about being head over heels for someone, or “heels over head” as the band put it in their last album. This song sounds a lot more like what I heard on their first CD, and I was definitely into it.

All it took was the song “Real Thing” and I had officially changed my opinion about the album. It was obvious that this song was completely different from the others, and that stood out clearly. The song has you listening within the first second. The entire beginning, lyrics, guitar, and production are incredible.

The slower songs that Boys Like Girls write are always soothing and enjoyable. “Someone Like You” was a very simple song, but it seemed like it was deep, and I got that vibe for sure. It was interesting how such a simple song stood out so much on the album overall.

“Shot Heard Round The World” had me interested in the beginning with the title. It starts with the sound of someone gasping for breath, and then picks up, proving to be a surprisingly fascinating song.

“The First One” is just another song about young love, and your first heartbreak. The song itself wasn’t bad, but I felt like I had heard the song before countless times. “Chemicals Collide” was also unoriginal sounding to my ears. A lot of the songs on Love Drunk sound a lot like the one before it.

“Go” is the song that brings the album to an end. I definitely got the vibe that it was a full of meaning and was a real and genuine song. The slower songs on the album were actually a lot more interesting to listen to than the faster rock songs that fit the style that Boys Like Girls usually has.

Personally, I think that Boys Like Girls’ self titled album had songs that really stood out more. Don’t get me wrong, this album has some great songs to offer, just only a select few. Some of the songs on Love Drunk are good for teenage kids to relate to, but unfortunately many are very repetitive and uninteresting. This CD didn’t do the band much justice and didn’t show off the talent that Boys Like Girls fans know that they have.

Rating: 5/10

For Fans Of: All Time Low, The Maine, Forever The Sickest Kids

Top Tracks: Love Drunk, Two Is Better Than One, Real Thing

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