Two Years Ago Today: Never Shout Never's 'What Is Love?'

In 2010, a young man from Joplin, Missouri named Christofer Drew Ingle (a.k.a. Never Shout Never) left our hearts in a puddle on the floor with his undeniably adorable yet earnest debut album What Is Love? It hit all the bases: young love (of course), love-at-first-sight without even knowing someone's name, self-consciousness, and on the heavier end, family problems along with a parents' divorce. Some may have said that his work was even too cute to handle, but there was no lack of fans around the web, and even here on Buzznet. Let's take a look back two years ago from whence the fame for this seemingly modern-day hippie type rose to a height even he may not have known would occur.

The first trackoff the album laid out the map for the rest of its followers, showering listeners with dreams about peace and love. Wait, is this 1974 or something? No, but like a flower-child who traded in his bell-bottoms for skinny jeans and furry hats, Christofer stays true to his influences of pasts musical eras. The next track delves into a story he told at shows the year the album came out explaining a little deeper as to what exactly he was talking about. Apparently, there was a waitress in Cali who caught his eye (he thought she had the most beautiful hands he'd ever seen. Yes, hands, I wrote.) and so he wrote about her because no matter that he didn't know her name, she was perfect. But aren't waitresses supposed to wear name tags anyway so why…eh, never mind.

A track that almost seems to be out of place and yet the album wouldn't be the same without it is "Sacrilegious". The subject is pretty straightforward: losing your faith in turn with finding out what it truly is. It's clear that Ingle was raised going to church but found that there were just too many flaws in the system for it to seem okay anymore. I personally can relate to this, so that's why it struck a chord with me. Naming the track for what it is might throw some off, but I think that was the point intended and the lyrical matter explains it. So many times we see things for being against religion or God and at the very same time claim that we are Christians as we judge and cut down those who are just looking for some answers. Ingle sums up that perfectly in this track. 

The tracks continue on about innocent, young love and with one which included a giggle that may have produced listeners with giggles of their own. We even got a taste of Christofer's own bout of California dreamin,' but then we end up on the darker end of the album, leaving the cuteness behind. The inspiration for track number seven was his parents' split when he was eighteen. It affected him like it does most teens as he questioned what love truly means at all or if it exists in the first place. He sings about losing faith in what he used to know and not quite understanding why it had to happen the way it did. I can remember back to when I saw him in concert and as he talked about the song, he asked anyone who wanted to raise their hand if they'd ever dealt with their parents breaking up, but only if they felt okay with doing so. And I think that is what's unique about Christofer is that he used his pain to bring others together who may have suffered through the same. 

This album contains some of Ingle's best work, although I have to admit that some of my favorite tracks he's done have been from earlier EPs, but I digress. Overall, it's a good, easy-going listen and perfect for ringing in the spring time even though we've still got a ways to go. 

Standout tracks:

1. "Love Is Our Weapon" (Peace and love, bro.)
3. "Can't Stand It" (You really can't go wrong with this one. And there's no way you don't want to sing along. Don't even try to deny it.) 
6. "California" (Want some flipping' sweet harmonies? Check it out.)

What does this album mean to you?