Love Is Chemicals - "s/t" cd  (Near Earth Objects)
Judging from the band's name, I was expecting another basic emo band - and though this band does have emo tendencies, they also incorporate some indiepop, as well, reminding me of a mix of Death Cab For Cutie, early Spent and even the Go-Betweens in a couple spots. The songs are generally subdued in tone, with occasional noisy bursts popping up now and again (like in "Aquamarine" and "Misery Card"). This album is almost a perfect upside-down bell curve; it starts and ends on high notes, with my favorite songs being "Claw Your Sweater" and "Everyone Is In On It" at the beginning and "A Portrait Of Your Post-Apocalyptic Son" and the Camera Obscura-ish "Furthest Star" at the end. Most of the middle tracks are pretty good, but not very memorable, while near the center is "Misery Card", which is as generic as it is awful. A good start for this young band from San Francisco.   MTQ=7/8

Love Is Chemicals - "Song Of The Summer Youth Brigade" cd  (Near Earth Objects)
The first album from this band a few years back showed some promise, but also room for improvement. Well, for their second album, they filled that room quite nicely (and then some!), much like a dozen marshmallows in a cup of hot chocolate. I can basically hear many of the same influences and sounds from the first record carried over here, including Death Cab and Spent-ish pop songs, though the band opens up a little more in songs like "Love Machines", "Larger On The Screen". You'll also find more overtly catchy tunes, such as "Over Land, Over Sea" and "The Blossom & The Butterfly", with the latter sounding quite a bit like the New Pornographers. Even some of their denser moments in "Roads Lead Underground" and "The Drift" manage to maintain some pop elements to them, reminding me of the Melody Unit. I did find a couple dull spots (namely "Travis The Cop" and "Light From Distant Shores"), but they weren't necessarily bad songs - just uninteresting. Definitely an album worth checking out!   MTQ=11/13