Boys Like Girls - Love Drunk Album Review

Following on from their self-titled debut album of 2007, Boston outfit Boys Like Girls return with their second release. The quartet are currently touring Canada before a jaunt of Europe includes a show at London Shepherd's Bush Empire. This will be followed by an extensive tour of America throughout the summer.

Surprisingly for a band of the punk-rock scene, BLG have not been content to repeat the tricks of their old material as they look to cement their position in the genre. Certainly the likes of 'Chemicals Collide' and title track 'Love Drunk' are very much emo standards, the latter of which can be seen as the successor to the group's hit single 'The Great Escape', but the mere mention of a Taylor Swift collaboration should hint at development. Her duet on 'Two Is Better Than One' is a country tinted acoustic affair that is clichéd through to a lofty string section, the results of which are uninspiring but at least it's an attempt at something different for BLG. Much better is the stripped down classical nature of 'Go', while a heavier metal riff powers 'Real Thing' as a pleasant listen even if the chorus takes an unwise turn toward pure pop.

Bon Jovi seemingly find themselves an influence to a couple of numbers, particularly 'Heart Heart Heartbreak' which is strikingly similar to 'It's My Life', and while these different directions don't always produce great results they do at least indicate there's more to this quartet than perhaps expected.

Alex Lai

3/5