Boys like writing horrible lyrics

Boys Like Girls’ self-titled debut featured soaring, sugary songs that were more sophisticated than usual generic power-pop.

Everything found on their second effort, “Love Drunk,” is not.

Generic, over-produced and full of the most Bon Jovi-aping seen since “Slippery When Wet” went platinum, “Love Drunk” is a major disappointment.

Bon Jovi should investigate Boys because both the album’s opener “Heart Heart Heartbreak” and “The Shot Heard ‘Round The World” could be confused for most of Bon Jovi’s catalogue.

When he isn’t ripping off successful hair bands, Boys frontman Martin Johnson immaturely whines about love – “This is the real thing / Love changes everything” on track “Real Thing” – while a ridiculous amount of production makes the album worse. 

Though his lyrics were far from ground-breaking on their debut, Johnson is clearly phoning it in here because the bombastic hooks are enough to rope in even the tweens.

Save an appearance by Taylor Swift, there’s not much to respect here.

The songs are overly-catchy, but Boys Like Girls have more to offer than penning lame efforts that relate directly to their name.