Boys Like Girls’ self-titled debut album was an unexpected success, eventually going gold. Devoid of any hit singles, the album seemed to catch on because it was a perfect distillation of the emo-pop sound with no rough edges to scare people away. For the follow-up, 2009′s Love Drunk, the band sticks to the same basic template of slick emo-pop with uptempo songs that sound stadium singalong-friendly and ballads that seem destined to melt teenage girls’ hearts. The difference this time is that the songwriting is improved and the songs hookier, especially the rockers. “She’s Got a Boyfriend Now” and “Contagious” sound like 2000s updates of the classic ’80s sound of pop/rockers like Bryan Adams and Rick Springfield. – Tim Sendra
more »