You’re Awful, I Love You

Youre Awful, I Love You

Amy Julian

Aside from Nelly’s St. Lunatics, St. Louis hasn’t produced too many big names in music. Until now. Or at least that’s what Ludo, the power pop quintet who pride themselves on being approachable, down to earth and a little off-beat, want you to think.

When I tried to figure out a comparative sound for Ludo’s new CD, “You’re Awful, I Love You,” I reluctantly settled on the following: everything in my iPod jumbled together with confusing lyrics.

Ludo’s second full-length CD, “You’re Awful, I Love You” sounds a bit familiar, like I’ve heard it before. It’s apparent Ludo turned to bands like My Chemical Romance, Incubus and Boys Like Girls for inspiration when recording their CD, which was released Feb. 26. The problem is, without settling on a clear-cut sound, the CD seems a bit disjointed and erratic.

No doubt, the St. Louis-natives of Ludo, consisting of Andrew Volpe, Tim Ferrell, Tim Convy, Marshall Fanciullo and Matt Palermo, employ a number of musical techniques to create a sound that is catchy and intoxicating. The “moog,” a modulator synthesizer often used in electronic music, is one such technique that they integrate into their power rock anthems.

With “You’re Awful, I Love You,” the distinct sound of their self-titled debut CD is traded in for a more generic and safe sound. But that’s what to be expected from a band that has catapulted into stardom and is looking to create radio-friendly music.

But I’m far from calling them sellouts. In fact, once you get past the confusion and grasp that the CD is one band, rather than two or three different ones, it’s actually quite a catchy bunch of melodies. Their first single, “Love Me Dead,” is a Weezer-like song with a catchy chorus.

The rest of the CD alternates between subdued melodies, ala The Fray, and gritty, scornful lyrics channeling Nirvana, with a bit of Plain White T’s thrown in there. It’s quite diverse, and while it doesn’t seem to make sense, it will once you listen to “You’re Awful, I Love You.”

Ludo will come to the Paradise with fellow rockers Presidents of the United States of America on March 27 to give Bostonians a taste of their sound. Until then, if you are in the mood for some pop-infused beats with cynical lyrics, check out Ludo’s latest record, “You’re Awful, I Love You.” While it’s not the best album of the year, it’s definitely worth giving it a listen.