In 2008/2009, Love & Theft first came on the country scene, and I was only aware because they were proving very popular with the Taylor Swift fans I was friends with. They had a semi-successful single and faded from view. Fast forward to 2012 and they jump back in with Angel Eyes, a hit that seems to do what they know – teen pop music with a bit of twang. I can definitely see them appealing to a new generation of teenage ‘Swifties’ and others like them.
Their self-titled sophomore album recently came out and if you like the lead-off single, ‘Angel Eyes’, then you’re guaranteed to like the rest of the album, as it’s pretty much more of the same. The first single itself is an upbeat, singalong tune characterised by guitar-based pop with additions of mandolins in the background. It’s references to country are based around religious elements, set around the line ‘there’s a little bit of devil in those angel eyes’. A preacher’s daughter who sings in church but goes out drinking at the bar and acting wild, she is depicted as the ‘perfect country girl’. I can imagine there are a lot of young good girls who imagine themselves to be a bit of a rebel at heart, who will love this song. Honestly, any loving song sung by a hot male is going to get girls of most ages out of breath.
The following song ‘Inside Out’, is again guitar-based pop and completely a summer driving song, by the driving infectious beat and repetitive melody line. This song taps into the typical country escape and freedom song of late, with lines such as ‘I can’t wait to get you out of this bar, right into the seat of my car’ and driving away into the country. It adds the risqué element of sex being on the menu if you will, but it’s harmless and just a cheeky bit of fantasy. The fun atmosphere is continued with ‘Runnin’ Out Of Air’, and the pop element is only intensified. The chorus is very catchy and wouldn’t sound out of place from a band like the Jonas Brothers, so I can see why it’s the second single. The instrumentation hasn’t changed very much thus far, as always the mandolin is thrown in low in the mix in order to add something extra. The lyrics are about the narrator being so in love with a girl that he’s ‘runnin’ out of air’, again tapping into the in-love theme.
They change up the vibe a bit for ‘Amen’, which is a ballad of sorts, relaxed with very much a bluesy feel. Even their voices seem to change style and suddenly have a soul-esque feel to them. The instrumentation changes as well, putting blue distortion on the electric guitar, using clap beats and making full use of the of the piano and acoustic guitar. The lyrics again relate to religion and love with the hint of sex, asking the girl if they can just stay in bed together and not go to church this one Sunday. They’re really building up the lovestruck theme by now but this song is a nice change and one of the better songs on the album.
Next, we have a 12-string guitar on ‘If You Ever Get Lonely’, and we’re back to the classic boyband pop music, though I’m hearing quite a few Rascal Flatts influences in the melody and the vocal harmonies, even down to the way they structure the instruments in the mix. The lyrics are still lovestruck, this time the narrator telling the girl he loves, who’s moved on with her life, that if she ever gets bored or lonely, or just wants to talk to someone, he’ll be there. I can see this appealing to a lot of teenage girls pining after boys who have moved on from them. ‘Thinking Of You (And Me)’ utilises the piano again and is a sweet ballad much in the same vein as Taylor Swift’s ‘Teardrops On My Guitar’, as the best friend declaring their love. I can see this being a big hit if they release it as a single because that theme is really popular.
The following song ‘Town Drunk’ sounds far more country than the others so far, because of the addition of the steel guitar and very similar guitar lines to much of the country charts at the moment. The vocal melody also ties in to this, and therefore this will most likely be released as a single. It’s a sweet story-song that tells of a boy who looks after a girl whose daddy is the town drunk, and their love blossoms over the years. It’s one of the best songs on the album, with some nice metaphorical lyrics ‘broken like a bottle, running from the only hole she ever had, tangled in the talk behind her back’.
‘Real Good Sign’, is an upbeat, cheerful, ukulele-based countrypop song, about a man in love with a girl who’s giving away signs that see might feel the same. It has a catchy, singalong chorus, and it’s sure to get people dancing, being great for summer. With ‘She’s Amazing’, we’re back to Rascal Flatts influences, and guitar-based pop with a big chorus declaring his love. This song is another placing a ‘perfect’ woman on a pedestal and is a classic style that can’t go wrong.
They change it up a bit now for ‘Girls Love To Shake It’, with far more of a southern rock vibe, particularly in the heavy drum beat that starts it off. This is yet another catchy tune, incorporating claps at the end of the chorus which always make it feel like a communal event. It’s based around singing the things that various members of society and various things like, for example, ‘rain likes to fall, sun likes to shine, wheels like to roll like a corona likes the lime’, finishing with ‘girls like to shake it’ as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, creating what many women might say is a fantasy world for men! The similarly named ‘Girls Look Hot In Trucks’ completes the album, and sounds a lot like your typical country ballad on the radio, with banjo, electric guitar, piano and a steel guitar and some nice harmonies. This is very similar to the previous song, taking worldy examples and facts and comparing it with the statement they’re making. For example, the verses talk about everything that people may disagree on, but the chorus holds everything that everyone must agree on, including that ‘girls look hot in trucks’. This has a great groove and is a stand-out track.
Overall, this album has a heavy emphasis on love and being hopelessly in love, and takes the typical stance of women as perfect, beautiful things to be appreciated, although often is done in a slightly sexist way (just my opinion). It’s guitar-based pop mainly but they do make efforts to have more country songs here and there, both in the subject matter and the sound. They are perfect in their sound and image for teenage girls and although many of the songs sounds similar and they don’t experiment too much, I enjoyed the album, despite the fact it’s usually not really my thing.
