Love in October: Words of Sound

There is nothing high-brow about Love in October, which is one of their most endearing qualities. You can’t help but picturing them playing to a room of teenagers, mugging enthusiastically at each other, exchanging MySpace URLs in the parking lot. Unfortunately, this charm can’t carry their songs along. Words of Sound is high-energy power pop, but it is also the sound of a band who can’t find their own niche. These guys are so far removed from original power pop influences that they rely on the sound of second- and third-wave power-poppers — like All-American Rejects or a slew of other Fuse TV-friendly bands. And while Love in October are pretty good at what they do, the sound rings hollow more often than not. Perhaps they are just young and need time, and in years we’ll look back on song like “A Day in the Life Of” or “Don’t Ask Me” not as the catchy but fatedly derivative songs they are now, but as building blocks to a more distinct sound. These songs might just get them some airplay, and they’re poppy enough to build a fan base, but what they will do with that sort of attention, whether or not they can grow, remains to be seen.