A second chance at the first time?3 Out Of 5 Stars
I can't remember a three album arc like the one taken by Boys Like Girls in recent memory. Starting life as a hooky emo-power-pop band with their gold selling debut, their second album had some more of the same, but you could feel the slickness settling in (especially when the ubiquitous Taylor Swift stopped by for a duet). Now they're up for the third album, "Crazy World." If you fell in love with the band that played "The Great Escape," that band is gone. In it's place is a slick pop band with more in common with Train or Matchbox 20, while getting up to their ankles in country pop.
"Crazy World" is plagued by some of the problems the other two albums did; the songwriting remains inconsistent but often hits a hook that you can't get away from. Heck, they even crib from the Backstreet Boys in "Life Of The party" when they announce "Boys Like Girls is back!" There's also the big love ballad, complete with strings and over-emoting, in "Hey You." It's such a formulaic piece that I can see it picked up for an episode of "Glee," and that's not necessarily a compliment.
Then there's those aforementioned forays into country-pop. If the title "Red Cup Hands Up Long Brown Hair" doesn't automatically give it away, one listen and you'll be wondering why they just didn't hand it over to Taylor Swift or Lady Antebellum and be done with it. Same with the title track, which is one banjo short of being ready for Jason Aldean. They've moved away from their roots entirely, but still deliver the guilty pleasures of a ballad like "Stuck In The Middle" or (despite my previous misgivings) the title song.
I still think Boys Like Girls have a future. They've crafted enough memorable material over three albums to have a decent best of at their disposal. They just have to decide who they want to be. "Crazy World" is like a ride on a schizophrenic train.
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