Local power-pop foursome Boys Like Girls were initially viewed by some critics as the next Panic at the Disco. Although BLG have yet to match Panic's record sales and chart positions, their sophomore release at times sounds like a legitimate knockoff.
This is especially true of the single "Heart Heart Heartbreak," with its radio-friendly emo drones. And when it's not ripping off Panic, Love Drunk seems to be catering to other mainstream audiences (why else would Taylor Swift appear as a guest on "Two Is Better Than One"?) and the hipster crowd — the opening verse to "Real Thing" sounds like an '80s pop revival tune, a shtick the Pitchfork masses eat up (as M83's runaway success attests).
But once you get past all that, you'll find a few solid pop-rock tunes here. "The First One" offers pristine acoustic guitar, driven melodies, and earnest lyrics — like frontman Martin Johnson moaning, "The first one is the worst one when it comes to a broken heart."
