Lots to like with Ludo's 'You're Awful'

Ludo is a band that's just full of surprises. Their debut was a fun collection of witty, catchy pop songs that even the band couldn't take seriously, backed by a notoriously energetic live show. The subsequent "Broken Bride" EP was a dark journey through time which, despite its tragic themes, still managed to include a substantial helping of pterodactyls, zombies and the like. And now, "You're Awful, I Love You," the band's new full-length, delivers the best of both worlds … but better.

From the snarky-anthem to self-flagellation that is the title track, it's clear that Ludo have both matured and held onto the immaturity that made them so endearing to begin with. After the first number, though, the album takes a decidedly more serious tack.

On the fun side, of course, there are songs like "Lake Pontchartrain," a murder-mystery involving crawfish and crazy vagrants, and "Go-Getter Greg," a tongue-twisting tale of that creepy guy in your apartment building who doesn't know when to quit.

But take one listen to the heart-wrenching "Please," and it'll be hard to believe it's the same Ludo. "Such As It Ends" has an amazing hook and could be the song to put these guys over the top, and the seemingly nonsensical "Topeka" ("I found God in a catalytic converter in Topeka on a Monday night") actually manages to be incredibly touching. "The Horror Of Our Love" is a downright chilling narrative, totally out of character coming from frontman Andrew Volpe's normally-goofy visage. And "In Space," the album's epic closer, is exactly what Angels And Airwaves promised to sound like and never really delivered on.

In fact, the closest this album ever comes to a clunker is the forgettable "Streetlights;" but when the worst thing to be said about an album is "track eight isn't my favorite," that's saying quite a bit indeed.

After five-plus years of DIY touring, promotion, recording, etc., getting themselves onto such coveted bills as Warped Tour and Lollapalooza without the assistance of a label, Ludo is unquestionably a band that deserves a break. The fact that their major-label debut is this shockingly, impossibly good just proves exactly how much they deserved that break. Already at the top of the heap of albums released since 2008 hit, "You're Awful, I Love You" may well be the best pop album you've never heard.