You're Awful, I Love You

by William RuhlmannWith their first self-released, self-titled album, Ludo seemed to be on their way to being the kind of smart rock band that Weezer and Fountains of Wayne can be, as lead singer and primary songwriter Andrew Volpe roamed through the ups and down of romance, viewing it all as if he were a coach potato comparing his life to popular movies and TV commercials. Years of touring the Midwest later, Ludo has signed to a major label and come under the wing of a hot producer, Matt Wallace (Maroon 5, Train). On You're Awful, I Love You, the band now sounds like it's trying to rank with the Killers and Jimmy Eat World. Wallace predictably achieves a radio-ready mainstream rock sheen, smoothing the rough edges of a band that once seemed frisky and eager. But the blandness he achieves is not the main problem. Somewhere along the way, the songwriting has been dumbed down, too. Every now and then, something literate breaks through, such as at the beginning of "Topeka," when Volpe sings, "I found God in a catalytic converter in Topeka on a Monday night." Trouble is, the song doesn't go anywhere from there, and that line gets repeated several times. Of these songs, perhaps only "Go-Getter Greg" has enough flair to have fit in on the first album. Those who have never heard Ludo may think You're Awful, I Love You is an efficient work of pop/rock. Those who know better will be disappointed. (Although the final track, "In Space," appears to run 8:19, it actually runs about 3:50, followed by a minute and a half of silence and then the hidden track "Boat Song." Only the major labels seem not to have gotten the message that the hidden-track gimmick has long since become tiresome.)