IHAO on ... The Broken Bride by Ludo

I'm not sure if this is a fact that has been stated here, but I love music.  I'm a very musical person.  I play piano, sing, dance ... ok, that's about it, but still, that is pretty cool, right?  Whatever, nerd, I think it is AWESOME.  Wait, who am I arguing with?  Ok, back on track.

IHAO has always been a place where I could talk about anything.  Any piece of art or entertainment, I got an opinion (almost).  And music is a good place to jump into.  And I wanted to jump into one of the greatest EPs I've ever listened to: The Broken Bride, by Ludo.

Ludo friend!

Not only is Ludo named after a character in my favorite film of all time, but they are a rock band that does something I think is missing in the vast majority of bands nowadays: they make fun, lyrically creative, concept songs.  On their album You're Awful, I Love You (A++ album) they have songs about stalkers, loneliness in space, horror movie love songs, painful and abusive relationships ... all sorts of crazy things.  Their music is wholly unique, while still being musically something palpable for the masses.  I'm a huge fan.  Please, go search on youtube or Spotify or something to listen to some Ludo, maybe even as I talk about Broken Bride.  I implore you, I think it will more than likely be worth your time.

Then I learned about the Broken Bride.

Golly, just looking at the cover of the CD I get emotional.

Broken Bride is a rock opera.  It is filled with catchy music, soulful music, and just like with all Ludo stuff, incredibly engaging and though provoking lyrics.  As a rock opera, the story is of a man from the 80s dealing with the lose of the woman he loved more than anything at all.  He built a time machine, and is trying to find a way to save her.  The first song, originally a solo song without more attached, blossomed into a whole EP of emotional journey, as well as spectacle and adventure filled journey.  And since it is a story, I have no intention to spoil how it all comes together.  But it is masterful.

The biggest problem with an EP review is that I very much want you all to just GO OUT AND BUY IT!  Go support these guys.  Here, look, I'll help.  Here's the listing on Amazon, only $3 now, which is about a 1/4 of what I had to pay for it long ago when I searched high and low to get my hands on a copy.  This album is wholly, completely, and truly worth the $3 it is now to just explore some new music.  That is a collection of change for a few days.

There are other ways to give it a listen as well.  My greatest suggestion I could give is to take 30 minutes of your life to just sit down and immerse yourself into this album.  Close your eyes and do your best to imagine all the incredible things they are describing, to feel all the emotion in Andrew Volpe's incredibly leading vocals, to put yourself in the same place as our time traveling protagonist.

If you are disappointed, or if this just isn't the music for you, then I apologize.  Music reviews aren't something I'm great at; it is much harder for me to separate my own emotional and subjective views from the pure mechanical aspects of the music, mostly because there is just so much variance out there.  But I honestly would be astounded if you hated the whole thing by the time the 30 minutes are over.

I'd love to hear any of you guys thoughts on Broken Bride, or other Ludo music, as well.  Leave comments below ... or on tumblr or facebook, I link to those all the time.  Or other places, like my email, bathroom walls I frequent, or in hidden valentines with reese's peanut butter cups attached.  Whatever you prefer.

Ludo's Broken Bride EP - Grade: A++

Deuces.

Is that a good sign off?  I always wondered if I needed one.  I had them for FMLs, over at 365orless.com, but those were easy.  I also had them on my videos back in the day, but I never felt like trying to force the "but that's just my opinion" into the end of every entry here.  I suppose it doesn't particularly matter, now does it.  Plus, I like deuces.  It is practical, simple, creative, hip, and life affirming at least a little bit.  So yeah.

Deuces.