Breaking out of St. Louis, Missouri in 2003, Ludo has released its newest album titled Prepare the Preparations and it’s, well, quite frankly it’s just okay. Like most of today’s bands, they fall into the snare of being a lot like everyone else. When so many different bands are trying to sound the same, it’s almost impossible for any to stand out and become exceptional. From the earliest tracks in the album I was instantly reminded of early Weezer, as singer Andrew Volpe shares Rivers Cuomo’s average- Joe style and drawl, as well as his simple but catchy writing style.Experience has taught me one thing. No one can be Weezer, and that’s final.

Ludo’s biggest issue is simply their inability to be anything but vanilla, remaining stuck in a no man’s land of mediocrity. However, that said, that doesn’t mean that Ludo has nothing to offer. “Whipped Cream,” is a catchy pop style song with crunchy guitars and fun beat that’s almost impossible to not toe-tap to, and the charming and soft-hearted “All the Stars Over Texas” showcases some excellent lyrics. “As long as the tide ebbs, and the earth turns and sun sets, I promise I’ll always be true, As long as there’s stars over Texas, I’ll hang on the moon for you.” Last, but not least, opening track “Too Tired to Wink,” proves to be an undeniably catchy song. The lyrics are silly, the music is fast paced and the drums kick the song into overdrive, making the song stand out as the real rocker on the album.

Volpe shows a lot of talent as a singer and songwriter, and all of the members of the band are talented musicians; the music is not bad, Ludo just needs to break out of the generic pop-alternative sound, and develop something of their own. Ludo has some solid songs, definitely check out “Whipped Cream,” but they simply need more time to develop into something a little more memorable.

Rating: 2 1/2 Stars