Just like most people, I've gone through a tolerable amount of pain and sorrow during my time on this planet. Broken bones eventually heal, hurt feelings fade, and shattered dreams are often replaced by new aspirations. Recently, though, I experienced a pain that was new to me: the first heartbreak of my adult life.

I finally found the perfect girl, and within a few weeks I knew that she was the one for me. Turns out that life doesn't always cooperate with your heart, and before I knew it I was listening to the self-titled album from Boys Like Girls… alone ... on my birthday.

Before her, I might've looked at Boys Like Girls as another catchy yet unremarkable pop-punk band. Now that everything reminds me of her, however, songs such as “Heels Over Head” and “Hero/Heroine” resonate in my mind for days. This really is a great debut album and it will always make me think of Kayla.

Grade: A-