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Ludo - Prepare The Preparations

Ludo

Prepare The Preparations

Perhaps if St. Louis geek rockers Ludo hadn’t hit such a homerun with 2008’s You’re Awful, I Love You, the follow-up to that record, Prepare The Preparations, wouldn’t be such a letdown. But alas, anyone expecting to hear another “Love Me Dead” or “Drunken Lament” on Preparations will be sorely disappointed. The band’s latest full-length has all the makings of a Ludo album, but surpisingly, the hooks are few and far between.

The main problem is Ludo are a little too smart for their own good. Instead of balancing the band’s considerable instrumental/lyrical abilities with basic pop songwriting, Preparations plays more like a science experiment gone awry—it’s doubtful that you’ll walk away from the electronica-tinged “Cyborgs vs. Robots” humming a tune, which unfortunately can be said for much of the record.

There are a few moments where catchiness creeps in—opener “Too Tired To Wink” redeems itself with a weighty chorus; “All The Stars In Texas” and “Anything For You” recall the acoustic-tinged simplicity of You’re Awful standout “Topeka”; and “Battle Cry,” which makes a farce of conquest and enslavement, is one spot where the band’s penchant for humor actually works. But otherwise, less gimmickry and more honest emotion and melody would’ve made Preparations as unforgettable as its predecessor.

Island

“Battle Cry”

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