YOU'RE AWFULI LOVE YOU

After listening to Ludo's second official full-lengther, You're Awful, I Love You, one thing is abundantly clear: being in a relationship with singer/songwriter/frontman Andrew Volpe must be a little slice of hell. But, even though -- as evidenced in the epic opening track, "Love Me Dead" -- Volpe seems at odds with the object(s) of his affections, he sure knows how to get some awesome tunes out of the deal.

As the title suggests You're Awful is a (mostly) light-hearted melodic study in the Yin and Yang of romantic love. Embellished with Tim Ferrell's exceptional lead guitar work (he simply smokes on the first track), Ludo really knows what it's doing. Island Records has signed the St. Louis rock outfit to a five-album deal -- and, if You're Awful is any indicator, they're definitely going to get their money's worth.

Like Weezer's Rivers Cuomo (there are some undeniable "Weezer moments" on here), Volpe is a heart-on-the-floor lyrical genius. "Pour the rum in my eyes/ Tell me lies," he sings on "Drunken Lament" -- this guy doesn't just want heartache; he wants it to burn.

But Volpe's romantic vocabulary isn't regulated strictly to love-confused anthems. "Lake Pontchartrain," a hyper-kinetic, ska-tinged narrative that resonates like a speed-reading version of Fastball's "The Way," has a dark, storytelling element to it as does "The Horror Of Our Love" -- a grim, Toadies-style tale of homicidal obsession. One of the album's standouts is "Go-Getter Greg," a nerd's lament over the anxieties of trying to impress the new neighbor lass. In the bridge, the protagonist's awkward attempts to get a date will make you squirm -- which is the whole point. Volpe isn't interested in perfect, picture book "eternal love." He likes the flawed, human variety that we all know so well.

By the time you get to the end of this album, you'll probably be convinced that Volpe can turn anything into a love song -- even a trip to outer space. But if you let the closing track, "In Space," run until it hits the 5:20 mark, you'll discover the disk's most touching track -- a lush acoustic weeper that showcases Volpe at his most stripped-down and vulnerable. Good stuff.

There's a lot to love on You're Awful, and fancy production by bigwig Matt Wallace (Maroon 5, Train), gives this album a slick, radio-ready sound. But it's Volpe's crafty, heartfelt songs that bring the whole thing to life. Give it a spin.