If my body responds positively to an album as my mind rattles off a list of better bands, is the effect neutralizing? Locksley’s, Be in Love, a combination of upbeat ‘90s alternative and dance pop bands like OK Go and Hot Hot Heat, caused my feet to jangle to its waltzy drum and guitar parts. Still, there’s nothing unique about Locksley’s fourth album; it’s a hackneyed throwback to bands you liked better in high school.
Be In Love locks us in upbeat shackles. We’re unable to break free from endless enthusiastic singing and instruments that toil, like a chain gang whipped into submission, at the same jovial speed and intensity the entire time. If a band is going to be enthusiastic, I want to feel their excitement, which doesn’t happen on Be In Love. Opener “Love You Too” is a microcosm of the whole album. It’s superficially happy, and though a frat boy chorus of “la-las” ends the song, it doesn’t build to any satisfying or cathartic release.
Be In Love is a dull mix of “all together now!” choruses and arrangements that, though upbeat, lack buoyancy. They don’t stand out or highlight the lyrics in any effective way. It’s any band I’ve heard before that makes me regret being a slave to catchiness.
In A Word: Boring
