With his peppy, lovey-dovey ballads, messy razored hair and whiny voice, Christofer Drew of NeverShoutNever is becoming the music industry’s latest emo sensation. With the debut of his first full-length album, What is Love, teenage girls and music snobs were sent screaming ? just for different reasons.

The length of the original album runs 20 minutes of stripped-down, acoustic pop. The rhythm of the guitar and simplistic drum patterns drives the tone, which, for the most part, sticks to carefree optimism. The attentive listener easily becomes vulnerable to the fun beats, despite any personal dislike against the band.

Drew provides some creative bursts here and there that set his music a little higher than regular indie pop. The banjo in ?Love is Our Weapon? introduces a twangy sound, a violin emphasizes the mournful sound in ?The Past,? and ?Jane Doe? features an accordion for an interesting twist. Snaps and claps make cameos to add to the overall sunny sound of the album.

?What is Love? and ?I Love You 5? stood out to me the most: ?What is Love? for its lively move-along tempo driven by guitar strumming and claps in addition with the drums, and ?I Love You 5? for the background vocal overlays and fun lyrical play:

?I love you one, a two, a three shoobee-doo, I love you four, that’s more than I can afford, and I can tell some day that I’m gonna say the truth; I love you five,? Drew sings with amusement.

The lyrics on the rest of the album stay fairly simple and are often nothing more than Drew’s honest thoughts. Besides his cutesy love ballads, he also approaches desiring change in the world in ?Love is Our Weapon,? his parents’ failing marriage in ?What is Love,? and his struggle with acceptance and drugs in ?The Past.?

Unfortunately, many of the songs contain unnecessary profanities, sullying ?California,? ?Jane Doe? and ?The Past.? ?Can’t Stand It? gave the album the explicit label with the debasing line ?everything you do is super ******* cute? that makes Drew sound like a junior high boy trying to express his rebellion through cussing.

?Sacrilegious? poses the most thought-provoking set of lyrics as Drew unfolds his own theology: ?Sunday mornin’ wake up early, Skip church service to find my Jesus. I know it sounds so sacrilegious, but I just don’t belong in a place like that,? he whines. ?I love the cause but not the act. ‘Cause Jesus was a friend and not a judge. He loved the sinners as much as he loved the little ones.?

Interesting thoughts, yes, but the vocals on this song put a damper on the sympathy level: ?Sacrilegious? along with ?California? and ?The Past? each showcase Drew’s voice at its whiniest, with parts that make sound as if a cat taught him how to sing.

And because NeverShoutNever’s music is more basic, Drew’s vocals control most of the overall effect of his songs. If his shrill pitch does not instantly frighten away his listeners, those that find his voice interesting will still find it hard to listen to the songs where warbling turns to wailing.

After listening to the entirety of What is Love, instead of melting into an infatuated mess or screaming ?Never! Never! Never!? I’ve learned to give Drew’s work one more listen, and then delete the intolerably screechy ones and save a few for the occasional sugary emo indulgence.

For more information, check out NeverShoutNever’s Web site.

For more music reviews, read the Feb. 4 article, Vampire Weekend produces peppy sophomore album.