Secondhand Serenade Albums (2)
'A Twist in My Story'
Release Date 1/1/2008
Tracks 11
Label Glassnote
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The second album by Secondhand Serenade, aka singer/songwriter John Vesely, finds the former solo artist making a grab for the pop-emo brass ring. Featuring production by (separately) Avril Lavigne and All-American Rejects knob twiddler Butch Walker and former Nine Inch Nails member Danny Lohner, not to mention full-band re-recordings of two of the debut's strongest songs, A Twist in My Story is an unapologetic mainstream alternative pop album. The more grandiose arrangements add strings, layered harmonies, and other arrangement details to Vesely's songwriting style. (He has explained the band name by saying that his songs are all dedicated to his wife, and the fact that others get to hear them is secondary: hence, Secondhand Serenade.) The result is an alt-pop record comparable to the likes of Five for Fighting or even the mellow Jason Mraz. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As a group name for singer/songwriter John Vesely (who plays and sings just about everything here), Secondhand Serenade is oddly appropriate, since Awake sounds on just about every level like a studious approximation of Dashboard Confessional. Awake isn't necessarily a bad album, but the lack of original inspiration on songs like "Vulnerable" and "Maybe" is pretty startling. (Obviously, even the song titles are second-hand.) Even the first-time listener should be able to pinpoint exactly at which second Vesely's double-tracked high harmony voice is going to come in, for example, or when the tune will modulate upward for an extra soupçon of yearning and strain. That said, while Vesely isn't the least bit unique, he does his chosen style well enough, and there's no reason why fans of the sensitive-guy-with-acoustic end of emo wouldn't at least be curious about Awake. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
