Love hasn’t been kind to emo rock band Kids in the Way if the songs on their latest CD “Love Hate Masquerade” are any indication. Break-ups and heartache permeate every lyric, painting a portrait of futility tinged with a longing to find a love that adds up to more than the shallow, fractured human relationships they’ve experienced.
Not familiar with their earlier efforts, I found most of the songs on “Love Hate Masquerade” to be catchy and clever with fresh hooks – especially on songs like “We Kill At Twilight” and “Your Demon”. On other songs like “Letting Go” and “Far from Over,” the lyrics are a little more predictable – something like a lukewarm version of a group like Flyleaf. Together, though, the songs connect one with another and reverberate with an intensity that proves this group has a real future in an often overcrowded music marketplace.
Granted, overt Christian anthems or symbolism are not prevalent, but “Love Hate Masquerade” clearly taps into the band’s audience of Gen Y’ers who are searching for hope and authentic love relationships. And ultimately, recognizing there is a God-shaped hole is the first step toward recognizing how to fill it .