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'''''Boys Like Girls''''' is the debut studio album by American [[pop rock]] band [[Boys Like Girls]]. It was released on August 22, 2006, by [[Columbia Records]] and [[RED Distribution|Red Ink]]. The album garnered a mixed reception from critics. ''Boys Like Girls'' reached number 55 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and spawned three singles: "[[Hero/Heroine]]", "[[The Great Escape (Boys Like Girls song)|The Great Escape]]" and "[[Thunder (Boys Like Girls song)|Thunder]]". To promote the record, the band toured across North America and the UK as support for various pop-punk acts, with appearances at music festivals and amusement parks.
'''''Boys Like Girls''''' is the debut studio album by American [[pop rock]] band [[Boys Like Girls]]. It was released on August 22, 2006, by [[Columbia Records]] and [[RED Distribution|Red Ink]]. The album garnered a mixed reception from critics. ''Boys Like Girls'' reached number 55 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and spawned three singles: "[[Hero/Heroine]]", "[[The Great Escape (Boys Like Girls song)|The Great Escape]]" and "[[Thunder (Boys Like Girls song)|Thunder]]". However Learning to Fall was made into a music video that premiered on the fourth episode on their Bravo reality show Boys Like Girls: Living the Dream. On Top of The World was the shows theme song and an 3 minute extended music video version of the shows opening credits featuring the song was featured on Bravotv.com. To promote the record, the band toured across North America and the UK as support for various pop-punk acts, with appearances at music festivals and amusement parks.


==Background==
==Background==
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{{quotation | Our self-titled debut goes through a series of events throughout the tracklisting, representing the last two years of my life. Though the songs weren't composed with that in mind, once they were all recorded it became apparent that there was a story of love, loss, youth, and angst for the future that was waiting to be told. The songs go from optimistic songs and love songs to loss and breakup songs, ending back with "Holiday", which starts the sequence over and symbolizes moving on and cycles in everyone's life.}}
{{quotation | Our self-titled debut goes through a series of events throughout the tracklisting, representing the last two years of my life. Though the songs weren't composed with that in mind, once they were all recorded it became apparent that there was a story of love, loss, youth, and angst for the future that was waiting to be told. The songs go from optimistic songs and love songs to loss and breakup songs, ending back with "Holiday", which starts the sequence over and symbolizes moving on and cycles in everyone's life.}}

While, as the title might suggest, songs about boys liking girls clearly prevail on the album, Johnson occasionally touched upon themes such as his mother's battle with cancer, leaving home, and promiscuous adolescents. Concerning the latter, he discussed the motivation behind the song "Dance Hall Drug":
{{quote|So many kids are growing up too fast. 13-year olds are giving each other hand jobs in the back of the bus, 14-year olds are already drinking and partying, and kids spend more time worried about growing up and being cool than they do actually growing up and being a kid.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playpro.com/?p=122|title=Featured Release: Boys Like Girls|work=PlayPro.com|access-date=July 4, 2011}}</ref>}}
The song "On Top of the World" is about Johnson's late mother.


==Release==
==Release==
On July 24, 2006, ''Boys Like Girls'' was announced for release in the following month. It was released on August 22 through [[RED Distribution|Red Ink]] and [[Columbia Records]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://melodic.net/?page=news&id=6380|title=Emo From Boston – Here's Boys Like Girls|work=Melodic (magazine)|last=Roth|first=Kaj|date=July 24, 2006|access-date=October 6, 2018}}</ref> The album's [[lead single]] was "[[Hero/Heroine (song)|Hero/Heroine]]", which was followed by "[[The Great Escape (Boys Like Girls song)|The Great Escape]]", and the re-release of Hero/Heroine and then "[[Thunder (Boys Like Girls song)|Thunder]]". In October, the band went on tour with [[Lostprophets]]. Following this, the band went on tour with [[Spitalfield]], [[Punchline (band)|Punchline]], [[Valencia (band)|Valencia]] and [[Over It (band)|Over It]] in November and December.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://music.ign.com:80/articles/736/736866p1.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070123053537/http://music.ign.com/articles/736/736866p1.html|title=Boys Like Girls Road Rage|publisher=IGN|author=IGN Music|date=October 2, 2006|archive-date=January 23, 2007|access-date=July 20, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On July 24, 2006, ''Boys Like Girls'' was announced for release in the following month. It was released on August 22 through [[RED Distribution|Red Ink]] and [[Columbia Records]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://melodic.net/?page=news&id=6380|title=Emo From Boston – Here's Boys Like Girls|work=Melodic (magazine)|last=Roth|first=Kaj|date=July 24, 2006|access-date=October 6, 2018}}</ref> The album's [[lead single]] was "[[Hero/Heroine (song)|Hero/Heroine]]", which was followed by "[[The Great Escape (Boys Like Girls song)|The Great Escape]]", and the re-release of Hero/Heroine and then "[[Thunder (Boys Like Girls song)|Thunder]]". In October, the band went on tour with [[Lostprophets]]. Following this, the band went on tour with [[Spitalfield]], [[Punchline (band)|Punchline]], [[Valencia (band)|Valencia]] and [[Over It (band)|Over It]] in November and December.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://music.ign.com:80/articles/736/736866p1.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070123053537/http://music.ign.com/articles/736/736866p1.html|title=Boys Like Girls Road Rage|publisher=IGN|author=IGN Music|date=October 2, 2006|archive-date=January 23, 2007|access-date=July 20, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>


In February and March 2007, the group supported [[Cartel (band)|Cartel]] on their tour of the US.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.punknews.org/article/21707/tours-cartel-cobra-starship-boys-like-girls-permanent-me|title=Cartel / Cobra Starship / Boys Like Girls / Permanent Me|publisher=Punknews.org|author=Reinecker, Meg|date=January 12, 2007|access-date=February 7, 2022}}</ref> On March 13, "The Great Escape" was released to [[Contemporary hit radio|mainstream radio]].<ref name="fmqb">{{cite web|url=http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=69239#2007|title=Radio Industry|publisher=FMQB|access-date=December 17, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100703052406/http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=69239#2007|archive-date=July 3, 2010}}</ref> Following this, they appeared at [[The Bamboozle]] festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.punknews.org/article/21463/more-bands-added-to-bamboozle-line-up|title=More bands added to Bamboozle line-up|publisher=Punknews.org|author=Reinecker, Meg|date=December 24, 2006|access-date=February 7, 2022}}</ref> From early April to early June, the band supported [[Hellogoodbye]] on their Two Months Of Spring Break Tour '99 tour of North America.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_1820|title=Hellogoodbye announce North American tour w/ Hush Sound|work=Alternative Press|date=February 27, 2007|access-date=August 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822230446/http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_1820|archive-date=August 22, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> From late June to late August, the band went on the 2007 edition of [[Warped Tour]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_1997|title=Throwdown added to Warped 07; Madina Lake drop off|work=Alternative Press|date=April 26, 2007|access-date=August 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828104249/http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_1997|archive-date=August 28, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Starting in late September, the group headlined the Tourzilla tour. The first part ran from late September to late October and featured [[All Time Low]], [[The Audition (band)|the Audition]] and [[We the Kings]], while the second part ran from late October and continued into November with All Time Low, the Audition and [[Valencia (band)|Valencia]]. During this tour, a deluxe edition of ''Boys Like Girls'' was released. The CD came with [[Enhanced CD|enhanced content]] which consisted of a photo gallery, videos of the group's [[Sessions@AOL|AOL Sessions]] performance, as well as live footage of "Heels Over Head" and "The Great Escape". The CD features new mixes of "Hero/Heroine" and "Heels Over Head", done by Tom Lord-Alge, and an acoustic version of "Hero/Heroine" as bonus tracks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_2747|title=Boys Like Girls to release deluxe edition of debut album|work=Alternative Press|publisher=Alternative Press Magazine, Inc|date=September 20, 2007|access-date=March 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320053838/http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_2747|archive-date=March 20, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> On October 16, "Hero/Heroine" was released to mainstream radio.<ref name="fmqb"/>
In February and March 2007, the group supported [[Cartel (band)|Cartel]] on their tour of the US.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=189998|title=Fear Not, More Cartel Headlining Dates Will Be Announced|work=AbsolutePunk.net|last=Kohli|first=Rohan|date=November 22, 2006|access-date=July 26, 2015}} {{dead-url|fix-attempted=yes|date=June 2021}}</ref> On March 13, "The Great Escape" was released to [[Contemporary hit radio|mainstream radio]].<ref name="fmqb">{{cite web|url=http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=69239#2007|title=Radio Industry|publisher=FMQB|access-date=December 17, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100703052406/http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=69239#2007|archive-date=July 3, 2010}}</ref> From early April to early June, the band supported [[Hellogoodbye]] on their Two Months Of Spring Break Tour '99 tour of North America.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_1820|title=Hellogoodbye announce North American tour w/ Hush Sound|work=Alternative Press|date=February 27, 2007|access-date=August 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822230446/http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_1820|archive-date=August 22, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> From late June to late August, the band went on the 2007 edition of [[Warped Tour]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_1997|title=Throwdown added to Warped 07; Madina Lake drop off|work=Alternative Press|date=April 26, 2007|access-date=August 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828104249/http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_1997|archive-date=August 28, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Starting in late September, the group headlined the Tourzilla tour. The first part ran from late September to late October and featured [[All Time Low]], [[The Audition (band)|the Audition]] and [[We the Kings]], while the second part ran from late October and continued into November with All Time Low, the Audition and [[Valencia (band)|Valencia]]. During this tour, a deluxe edition of ''Boys Like Girls'' was released. The CD came with [[Enhanced CD|enhanced content]] which consisted of a photo gallery, videos of the group's [[Sessions@AOL|AOL Sessions]] performance, as well as live footage of "Heels Over Head" and "The Great Escape". The CD features new mixes of "Hero/Heroine" and "Heels Over Head", done by Tom Lord-Alge, and an acoustic version of "Hero/Heroine" as bonus tracks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_2747|title=Boys Like Girls to release deluxe edition of debut album|work=Alternative Press|publisher=Alternative Press Magazine, Inc|date=September 20, 2007|access-date=March 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320053838/http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_2747|archive-date=March 20, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> On October 16, "Hero/Heroine" was released to mainstream radio.<ref name="fmqb"/>


From early March to early May 2008, the band supported [[Avril Lavigne]] on her [[The Best Damn World Tour]] in the US.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_2967|title=Boys Like Girls to open Avril Lavigne arena tour in 2008|work=Alternative Press|publisher=Alternative Press Magazine, Inc|date=November 7, 2007|access-date=July 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728173441/http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_2967|archive-date=July 28, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> "Thunder" was released to [[top 40]] radio stations<ref name=Billteam/> on May 6.<ref name="fmqb"/> In July and August, the group went on a co-headlining US tour with [[Good Charlotte]], with support from Metro Station and [[The Maine (band)|the Maine]], dubbed the Soundtrack of Your Summer tour.<ref name=Billteam>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1045415/good-charlotte-boys-like-girls-team-for-tour|title=Good Charlotte, Boys Like Girls Team For Tour|work=Billboard|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|date=May 13, 2008|access-date=March 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160925051322/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1045415/good-charlotte-boys-like-girls-team-for-tour|archive-date=September 25, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In between dates on this tour, the band performed at various [[Six Flags]] locations as part of the mtvU Video Music Awards Tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtvu.com:80/music/six_flags/2008/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828035428/http://www.mtvu.com/music/six_flags/2008/|title=mtvU Video Music Awards Tour at Six Flags 2008|work=MTVu|archive-date=August 28, 2008|access-date=May 30, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> In September and October, the band went on the Verizon College tour with [[Cute Is What We Aim For]] and [[Lights (musician)|Lights]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080915006776/en/Warner-Bros.-Records-Partners-Doghouse-Sign-Electro-Pop|title=Warner Bros. Records Partners with Doghouse to Sign Electro-Pop Artist LIGHTS Label to Release Debut EP from Young Canadian Songstress on September 23rd, 2008|work=Business Wire|publisher=Berkshire Hathaway|date=September 15, 2008|access-date=September 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917171110/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080915006776/en/Warner-Bros.-Records-Partners-Doghouse-Sign-Electro-Pop|archive-date=September 17, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> In January 2009, the band went on a tour of the UK with Metro Station.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_5154|title=Boys Like Girls / Metro Station to tour the UK|work=Alternative Press|publisher=Alternative Press Magazine, Inc|date=November 23, 2008|access-date=July 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728165500/http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_5154|archive-date=July 28, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2016, the band went on tour for the tenth anniversary of the album and played the record in its entirety.
From early March to early May 2008, the band supported [[Avril Lavigne]] on her [[The Best Damn World Tour]] in the US.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_2967|title=Boys Like Girls to open Avril Lavigne arena tour in 2008|work=Alternative Press|publisher=Alternative Press Magazine, Inc|date=November 7, 2007|access-date=July 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728173441/http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_2967|archive-date=July 28, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> "Thunder" was released to [[top 40]] radio stations<ref name=Billteam/> on May 6.<ref name="fmqb"/> In July and August, the group went on a co-headlining US tour with [[Good Charlotte]], with support from Metro Station and [[The Maine (band)|the Maine]], dubbed the Soundtrack of Your Summer tour.<ref name=Billteam>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1045415/good-charlotte-boys-like-girls-team-for-tour|title=Good Charlotte, Boys Like Girls Team For Tour|work=Billboard|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|date=May 13, 2008|access-date=March 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160925051322/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1045415/good-charlotte-boys-like-girls-team-for-tour|archive-date=September 25, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In between dates on this tour, the band performed at various [[Six Flags]] locations as part of the mtvU Video Music Awards Tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtvu.com:80/music/six_flags/2008/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828035428/http://www.mtvu.com/music/six_flags/2008/|title=mtvU Video Music Awards Tour at Six Flags 2008|work=MTVu|archive-date=August 28, 2008|access-date=May 30, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> In September and October, the band went on the Verizon College tour with [[Cute Is What We Aim For]] and [[Lights (musician)|Lights]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080915006776/en/Warner-Bros.-Records-Partners-Doghouse-Sign-Electro-Pop|title=Warner Bros. Records Partners with Doghouse to Sign Electro-Pop Artist LIGHTS Label to Release Debut EP from Young Canadian Songstress on September 23rd, 2008|work=Business Wire|publisher=Berkshire Hathaway|date=September 15, 2008|access-date=September 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917171110/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080915006776/en/Warner-Bros.-Records-Partners-Doghouse-Sign-Electro-Pop|archive-date=September 17, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> In January 2009, the band went on a tour of the UK with Metro Station.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_5154|title=Boys Like Girls / Metro Station to tour the UK|work=Alternative Press|publisher=Alternative Press Magazine, Inc|date=November 23, 2008|access-date=July 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728165500/http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_5154|archive-date=July 28, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2016, the band went on tour for the tenth anniversary of the album and played the record in its entirety.
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Corey Apar from [[AllMusic]] commended the band's musical abilities under the emo pop-rock subgenre but felt they lacked a unique quirk to separate them from similar acts that have "the overwhelming catchiness of [[the All-American Rejects]] or the unbridled enthusiasm of [[the City Drive]]." He concluded that: "Regardless, those looking for a quick fix will surely eat up the likes of Boys Like Girls."<ref name="AM"/> [[IGN]]'s Chad Grischow highlighted the band's penchant for "solid vocals and pop sensibilities ("The Great Escape, "Heels Over Head")" and gave note of their credentials in the emo genre ("Broken Man", "Dance Hall Drug"), but found the rest of the album sounding too similar to [[Jimmy Eat World]] and [[The Postal Service]], along with an overabundance of sappy lyrics sung with auto-effected vocals, concluding that: "Boys Like Girls are not a groundbreaking band by any means, but despite the occasionally heavy-handed borrowings and lazy lyrics, there are enough glimpses of promise within their debut to make it worth checking out."<ref name="IGN"/>
Corey Apar from [[AllMusic]] commended the band's musical abilities under the emo pop-rock subgenre but felt they lacked a unique quirk to separate them from similar acts that have "the overwhelming catchiness of [[the All-American Rejects]] or the unbridled enthusiasm of [[the City Drive]]." He concluded that: "Regardless, those looking for a quick fix will surely eat up the likes of Boys Like Girls."<ref name="AM"/> [[IGN]]'s Chad Grischow highlighted the band's penchant for "solid vocals and pop sensibilities ("The Great Escape, "Heels Over Head")" and gave note of their credentials in the emo genre ("Broken Man", "Dance Hall Drug"), but found the rest of the album sounding too similar to [[Jimmy Eat World]] and [[The Postal Service]], along with an overabundance of sappy lyrics sung with auto-effected vocals, concluding that: "Boys Like Girls are not a groundbreaking band by any means, but despite the occasionally heavy-handed borrowings and lazy lyrics, there are enough glimpses of promise within their debut to make it worth checking out."<ref name="IGN"/>
⚫
The album has been certified Gold by the RIAA for over 500,000 units shipped.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS217817+14-Jan-2008+PRN20080114|title=Rapidly Rising Boston Band Boys Like Girls Invited to Open for Avril Lavigne on Upcoming...|agency=Reuters|date=January 14, 2008|access-date=January 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091115183517/http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS217817+14-Jan-2008+PRN20080114|archive-date=November 15, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> By May 2008, the album had sold 532,000 copies.<ref name=Billteam/>

⚫
The album has been certified Gold by the RIAA for over 500,000 units shipped.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS217817+14-Jan-2008+PRN20080114|title=Rapidly Rising Boston Band Boys Like Girls Invited to Open for Avril Lavigne on Upcoming...|agency=Reuters|date=January 14, 2008|access-date=January 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091115183517/http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS217817+14-Jan-2008+PRN20080114|archive-date=November 15, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> By May 2008, the album had sold 532,000 copies.<ref name=Billteam/> [[Cleveland.com]] ranked "The Great Escape" at number 69 on their list of the top 100 pop-punk songs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/03/the-100-greatest-pop-punk-songs-of-all-time.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303183529/https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/03/the-100-greatest-pop-punk-songs-of-all-time.html|title=The 100 greatest pop punk songs of all time|publisher=[[Cleveland.com]]|author=Smith, Troy L.|date=March 2, 2022|archivedate=March 3, 2022|accessdate=March 3, 2022}}</ref>


==Track listing==
==Track listing==

Revision as of 20:57, 10 April 2022

Boys Like Girls
Studio album by
Boys Like Girls
ReleasedAugust 22, 2006
RecordedEarly 2006
GenrePop punk, pop rock, power pop, alternative rock, emo
Length45:14
LabelColumbia, Red Ink
ProducerMatt Squire
Boys Like Girls chronology
Boys Like Girls
(2006) 		Love Drunk
(2009)
Singles from Boys Like Girls
  1. "Hero/Heroine"
    Released: October 16, 2006
  2. "The Great Escape"
    Released: March 3, 2007
  3. "Thunder"
    Released: May 6, 2008

Boys Like Girls is the debut studio album by American pop rock band Boys Like Girls. It was released on August 22, 2006, by Columbia Records and Red Ink. The album garnered a mixed reception from critics. Boys Like Girls reached number 55 on the Billboard 200 and spawned three singles: "Hero/Heroine", "The Great Escape" and "Thunder". However Learning to Fall was made into a music video that premiered on the fourth episode on their Bravo reality show Boys Like Girls: Living the Dream. On Top of The World was the shows theme song and an 3 minute extended music video version of the shows opening credits featuring the song was featured on Bravotv.com. To promote the record, the band toured across North America and the UK as support for various pop-punk acts, with appearances at music festivals and amusement parks.

Background

Boys Like Girls formed in late 2005 when vocalist/guitarist Martin Johnson, previously of the band IDK, wrote a few songs that he wished to record. He subsequently brought in bassist Bryan Donahue and drummer John Keefe, both of whom Johnson had played within local acts Lancaster and The Bends. Keefe, in turn, recruited guitarist Paul DiGiovanni.[1] They posted a handful of demos online, and by the end of the year, were attracting a following and noticed by booking agent Matt Galle and producer Matt Squire, both of whom wanted to work with the band.[2] In February and March 2006, the band supported A Thorn for Every Heart on their US tour.[3] Following its conclusion, the band went to record their debut album with Squire.[2] He acted as the producer, engineer; he mixed every track except "The Great Escape" and "On Top of the World", which were mixed by Tom Lord-Alge with assistance from Femio Hernandez at South Beach Studios. George Marino mastered the album at Sterling Sound in New York.[4]

Composition

According to a lyric feature written by the album's principal songwriter Martin Johnson, the lyrical content of the songs is semi-autobiographical.[5]

Our self-titled debut goes through a series of events throughout the tracklisting, representing the last two years of my life. Though the songs weren't composed with that in mind, once they were all recorded it became apparent that there was a story of love, loss, youth, and angst for the future that was waiting to be told. The songs go from optimistic songs and love songs to loss and breakup songs, ending back with "Holiday", which starts the sequence over and symbolizes moving on and cycles in everyone's life.

Release

On July 24, 2006, Boys Like Girls was announced for release in the following month. It was released on August 22 through Red Ink and Columbia Records.[6] The album's lead single was "Hero/Heroine", which was followed by "The Great Escape", and the re-release of Hero/Heroine and then "Thunder". In October, the band went on tour with Lostprophets. Following this, the band went on tour with Spitalfield, Punchline, Valencia and Over It in November and December.[7]

In February and March 2007, the group supported Cartel on their tour of the US.[8] On March 13, "The Great Escape" was released to mainstream radio.[9] From early April to early June, the band supported Hellogoodbye on their Two Months Of Spring Break Tour '99 tour of North America.[10] From late June to late August, the band went on the 2007 edition of Warped Tour.[11] Starting in late September, the group headlined the Tourzilla tour. The first part ran from late September to late October and featured All Time Low, the Audition and We the Kings, while the second part ran from late October and continued into November with All Time Low, the Audition and Valencia. During this tour, a deluxe edition of Boys Like Girls was released. The CD came with enhanced content which consisted of a photo gallery, videos of the group's AOL Sessions performance, as well as live footage of "Heels Over Head" and "The Great Escape". The CD features new mixes of "Hero/Heroine" and "Heels Over Head", done by Tom Lord-Alge, and an acoustic version of "Hero/Heroine" as bonus tracks.[12] On October 16, "Hero/Heroine" was released to mainstream radio.[9]

From early March to early May 2008, the band supported Avril Lavigne on her The Best Damn World Tour in the US.[13] "Thunder" was released to top 40 radio stations[14] on May 6.[9] In July and August, the group went on a co-headlining US tour with Good Charlotte, with support from Metro Station and the Maine, dubbed the Soundtrack of Your Summer tour.[14] In between dates on this tour, the band performed at various Six Flags locations as part of the mtvU Video Music Awards Tour.[15] In September and October, the band went on the Verizon College tour with Cute Is What We Aim For and Lights.[16] In January 2009, the band went on a tour of the UK with Metro Station.[17] In 2016, the band went on tour for the tenth anniversary of the album and played the record in its entirety.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk(65%)[18]
AllMusic[19]
IGN6.8/10[20]
Melodic[21]

Corey Apar from AllMusic commended the band's musical abilities under the emo pop-rock subgenre but felt they lacked a unique quirk to separate them from similar acts that have "the overwhelming catchiness of the All-American Rejects or the unbridled enthusiasm of the City Drive." He concluded that: "Regardless, those looking for a quick fix will surely eat up the likes of Boys Like Girls."[19] IGN's Chad Grischow highlighted the band's penchant for "solid vocals and pop sensibilities ("The Great Escape, "Heels Over Head")" and gave note of their credentials in the emo genre ("Broken Man", "Dance Hall Drug"), but found the rest of the album sounding too similar to Jimmy Eat World and The Postal Service, along with an overabundance of sappy lyrics sung with auto-effected vocals, concluding that: "Boys Like Girls are not a groundbreaking band by any means, but despite the occasionally heavy-handed borrowings and lazy lyrics, there are enough glimpses of promise within their debut to make it worth checking out."[20] The album has been certified Gold by the RIAA for over 500,000 units shipped.[22] By May 2008, the album had sold 532,000 copies.[14]

Track listing

All songs by Martin Johnson, except where noted.[4]

Standard Edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Great Escape"
3:28
2."Five Minutes to Midnight"
  • Johnson
  • Hollander
  • Katz
3:47
3."Hero/Heroine" 3:52
4."On Top of the World" 3:36
5."Thunder" 3:56
6."Me, You and My Medication" 4:28
7."Up Against the Wall"
  • Johnson
  • Hollander
  • Katz
3:39
8."Dance Hall Drug" 3:29
9."Learning to Fall"
  • Johnson
  • Hollander
  • Katz
3:04
10."Heels Over Head" 3:08
11."Broken Man" 3:31
12."Holiday" 5:08
Total length:45:14
Bonus Tracks
No.TitleLength
1."Hero/Heroine (Acoustic Version)"3:55
2."Hero/Heroine (Tom Lord-Alge Mix)"3:46

Personnel

Adapted credits from the liner notes of Boys Like Girls.[4]

Charts

References

  1. ^ "Boys Like Girls". Punknews.org. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Apar, Corey. "Boys Like Girls | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  3. ^ "A Thorn For Every Heart touring with Hit The Lights, more". Alternative Press. February 14, 2006. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Boys Like Girls (booklet). Boys Like Girls. Columbia Records. 2007. 88697 18816 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ "Euphonia Online". Lyric Feature – Boys Like Girls by Boys Like Girls.
  6. ^ Roth, Kaj (July 24, 2006). "Emo From Boston – Here's Boys Like Girls". Melodic (magazine). Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  7. ^ IGN Music (October 2, 2006). "Boys Like Girls Road Rage". IGN. Archived from the original on January 23, 2007. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  8. ^ Kohli, Rohan (November 22, 2006). "Fear Not, More Cartel Headlining Dates Will Be Announced". AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved July 26, 2015. [permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ a b c "Radio Industry". FMQB. Archived from the original on July 3, 2010. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  10. ^ "Hellogoodbye announce North American tour w/ Hush Sound". Alternative Press. February 27, 2007. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  11. ^ "Throwdown added to Warped 07; Madina Lake drop off". Alternative Press. April 26, 2007. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  12. ^ "Boys Like Girls to release deluxe edition of debut album". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. September 20, 2007. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  13. ^ "Boys Like Girls to open Avril Lavigne arena tour in 2008". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. November 7, 2007. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  14. ^ a b c Cohen, Jonathan (May 13, 2008). "Good Charlotte, Boys Like Girls Team For Tour". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 25, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  15. ^ "mtvU Video Music Awards Tour at Six Flags 2008". MTVu. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  16. ^ "Warner Bros. Records Partners with Doghouse to Sign Electro-Pop Artist LIGHTS Label to Release Debut EP from Young Canadian Songstress on September 23rd, 2008". Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. September 15, 2008. Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  17. ^ "Boys Like Girls / Metro Station to tour the UK". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. November 23, 2008. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  18. ^ Pascarella, Tony (July 22, 2006). "Boys Like Girls – Boys Like Girls – Album Review". AbsolutePunk. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  19. ^ a b Apar, Corey. "Boys Like Girls – Boys Like Girls". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 7, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  20. ^ a b Grischow, Chad (August 28, 2006). "Boys Like Girls – Boys Like Girls". IGN. Archived from the original on September 1, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  21. ^ Roth, Kaj (August 19, 2006). "Boys Like Girls – s/t". Melodic (magazine). Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  22. ^ "Rapidly Rising Boston Band Boys Like Girls Invited to Open for Avril Lavigne on Upcoming..." Reuters. January 14, 2008. Archived from the original on November 15, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
  23. ^ "Boys Like Girls Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  24. ^ "Boys Like Girls Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  25. ^ "Boys Like Girls Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  26. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
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