On August 22, 2009, the punk pop group Boys Like Girls debuted their sophomore album "Love Drunk" (RCA) to the public. After the popularity of their first self-titled album in 2006, many questioned if the boys in skinny jeans could bounce back with as much fame.
BLG's first album (holding five hit singles) was completed with a collaboration of melodic lyrics that created a seamless transition from track to track. On the other hand, their second album "Love Drunk," attacks its audience with its explosive, energetic beats. The only trait that the two albums share is the lyrical themes: love, drugs, sex and heartbreak.
"Love Drunk" starts off waking the listener up with "Heart Heart Heartbreak," a poppy track about getting into a rocky relationship that is destined to end in failure. With the catchy bridge followed by a strong guitar solo BLG gives off a new forceful vibe.
The first hit from the album, ironically titled "Love Drunk" is almost an identical copy of the group's first-ever hit single "The Great Escape" from their first CD. Both songs have an upbeat tempo, based on the theme of love which makes it hard to resist for their teenage audiences.
Throughout the entire album this is an evident common thread of being "under the influence" of love. The first account is found in the hit "Love Drunk" with the chorus line "I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hung over, I loved you forever, but now I'm sober." The second account is found midway through the album in a catchy song titled "Contagious." "Contagious" unknowingly forces the listener to nod their head along with the beat while it tells a story of a boy that is falling for a girl because she is so extremely infectious. "Chemicals Collide" is the final piece to the puzzle, explaining that being in love is similar to being under the influence of drugs. Much like the effect of drugs, the song can't help but give the listener a worry free, feel-good feeling.
BLG did not collaborate with other artist on their previous album, but on "Love Drunk" lead singer Martin Johnson teams up with country pop start Taylor Swift in the love ballad "Two Is Better Than One." Together these teen sensations sing about the joy of new found love in a slow acoustic number, backed by a string section. The song has a more mature edge and should be widely popular because it reaches out to both ends of the spectrum touching Swifts country fans and BLG audiences.
After listening attentively to both Boys Like Girls CD's it is safe to say that even though the proper genre category is titled "punk pop" these boys lean more towards a pop sound than punk. Unlike punk bands like Blink 182, Sum 41 and Good Charlotte, BLG appeals more to the female fans which makes up a large contribution of the pop musical genre.
BLG, without a doubt reminds me of the 1970s group, The Cars. With hits like "My Best Friend's Girl" and "Just What I Needed" The Cars attempted to reach out to a punk rock audience, but were instead categorized more properly in the pop music genre.
The pop sound is clearly evident in the finale of the "Love Drunk" album with the slow tempo track "Go." Johnson's voice is extremely monotone throughout the final song creating a dull, almost lullaby vibe that will quickly put the listener to sleep. If BLG feels the need to continue their use of slothful tunes they can surely count on their fan base to drop along with their album sales.
BLG's first album (holding five hit singles) was completed with a collaboration of melodic lyrics that created a seamless transition from track to track. On the other hand, their second album "Love Drunk," attacks its audience with its explosive, energetic beats. The only trait that the two albums share is the lyrical themes: love, drugs, sex and heartbreak.
"Love Drunk" starts off waking the listener up with "Heart Heart Heartbreak," a poppy track about getting into a rocky relationship that is destined to end in failure. With the catchy bridge followed by a strong guitar solo BLG gives off a new forceful vibe.
The first hit from the album, ironically titled "Love Drunk" is almost an identical copy of the group's first-ever hit single "The Great Escape" from their first CD. Both songs have an upbeat tempo, based on the theme of love which makes it hard to resist for their teenage audiences.
Throughout the entire album this is an evident common thread of being "under the influence" of love. The first account is found in the hit "Love Drunk" with the chorus line "I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hung over, I loved you forever, but now I'm sober." The second account is found midway through the album in a catchy song titled "Contagious." "Contagious" unknowingly forces the listener to nod their head along with the beat while it tells a story of a boy that is falling for a girl because she is so extremely infectious. "Chemicals Collide" is the final piece to the puzzle, explaining that being in love is similar to being under the influence of drugs. Much like the effect of drugs, the song can't help but give the listener a worry free, feel-good feeling.
BLG did not collaborate with other artist on their previous album, but on "Love Drunk" lead singer Martin Johnson teams up with country pop start Taylor Swift in the love ballad "Two Is Better Than One." Together these teen sensations sing about the joy of new found love in a slow acoustic number, backed by a string section. The song has a more mature edge and should be widely popular because it reaches out to both ends of the spectrum touching Swifts country fans and BLG audiences.
After listening attentively to both Boys Like Girls CD's it is safe to say that even though the proper genre category is titled "punk pop" these boys lean more towards a pop sound than punk. Unlike punk bands like Blink 182, Sum 41 and Good Charlotte, BLG appeals more to the female fans which makes up a large contribution of the pop musical genre.
BLG, without a doubt reminds me of the 1970s group, The Cars. With hits like "My Best Friend's Girl" and "Just What I Needed" The Cars attempted to reach out to a punk rock audience, but were instead categorized more properly in the pop music genre.
The pop sound is clearly evident in the finale of the "Love Drunk" album with the slow tempo track "Go." Johnson's voice is extremely monotone throughout the final song creating a dull, almost lullaby vibe that will quickly put the listener to sleep. If BLG feels the need to continue their use of slothful tunes they can surely count on their fan base to drop along with their album sales.
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