With a name like Lloyd Dobler Effect, how can you go wrong? Back it up with some peppy indie-rock anthems, maybe a slow song or two and some clever referential humor occasionally nestled in the lyrics. Perfect, right? Well, I’ve got bad news for you. There’s not so much as a mention of kick boxing on this album.
As sugary and bland as a bowl of soggy cornflakes, DC band Lloyd Dobler Effect habitually squanders any shred of promise with some of the mildest song writing you’ll ever hear. Tracks like “Have Faith” and “Fingertips” are peppered with truly catchy hooks that are inevitably washed out with muzak rhythms. And the lyrics are just as lazy, such as the incessantly repeated lines of “My radio, radio, radio, oh, oh, oh no, no, no,” on the creatively titled “Radio”.
That’s not to say that the band isn’t talented. These guys can certainly operate their instruments and the vocals aren’t too shabby. But LDE simply never takes any risks with their sound. Every track on this album is very safe, very by-the-numbers and very boring as a result. LDE sounds like they wants to be the next Maroon 5, but somehow they end up sounding like Savage Garden instead.
There are scores of bands already on the market that have the same soft rock sound. The only thing that makes these guys stick out is the name — a name that is simply too cool for this band. In fact, it was the name that kept me rooting for the band throughout the album, hoping against hope that something worthwhile would eventually surface. And there are inspired moments, the occasional energetic blast of Latin beats, etc. that lead me to believe there’s still a chance LDE will come into their own. But whether or not that ever happens, I wouldn’t spend money on this CD.
Review By: David Feltman
[Rating: 2/5]
