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The CD starts out with two tracks that blend perfectly into one another, a cover of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells," an electronic music classic that is heavier than anything on Book of Love as well as darker, with the processed voice saying "Mother, make it stop!" over and over. However, after seguing into "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" it gradually changes into exactly what you'd expect Book of Love to sound like, with wistful vocals, romantic fantasy lyrics and a much more cheerful sound. However, the album has a good deal more filler material than the previous one, and not only that, the filler material isn't as thematically unified. The mid-tempo "Sea of Tranquility" is one such song, which although wistful, is wistful in a very different way then we've seen before, with no hint of relationships at all. "Melt My Heart" is heavier and darker, showing a little bit of the disintegration of the innocence of the child-like past on Book of Love. Ted takes over the vocals for the stirring and beautiful ballad "With a Little Love." It is miles away from other BoL stuff in many ways, since he obviously doesn't sound much like Susan, but thematically it fits in perfectly, and is one of my favorite songs here. "Witchcraft" is interesting, with chanted vocals for part of it, but soaring, gorgeous vocals and synthparts during the chorus. It also capitalizes on the little girl idea, quoting parts of children's nursery rhymes and adding lyrics that have to do with making someone fall in love with her. Unfortunately, these two wonderful songs are followed up by the filler material "You Look Through Me." It gets a little better with "Champagne Wishes" which actually seems to slam the very fantasies that they've been capitalizing on all along. The song has a fun sound to it, though, and it is a good song, even if a little out of place. "Oranges and Lemons" is another filler song, with lyrics that don't seem to fit the theme very well. Luckily, they finish up the album very strongly with the title track, "Lullaby." It starts out with a nice slow bagpipe solo and then the sleepy, relaxing voice of Susan singing herself to sleep thinking of her love. Interestingly enough, it picks up and turns into a dance song, which isn't likely to help anyone sleep, but it is very atmospheric, and is a literal work of art, comparable to the best songs on the prior album.
Overall, the second CD by Book of Love had some really great stuff, but it was a little rockier; a little more hit and miss, and the theme wasn't as pronounced or consistent. It's still really good, though, and I turned to their third album with high hopes.
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