John Vesely, otherwise known as Secondhand Serenade, will be releasing his second album to date, “A Twist In My Story,” on Feb. 19. This album will be his first release on the indie-label Glassnote Records. Secondhand Serenade’s success so far can definitely be attributed to his great use of his MySpace.com music site, where he gained most of his initial fan base. This album is currently available for all to hear on MTV.com, as the network chose to make the album a featured leak on The Leak.

Secondhand Serenade’s success in the industry so far is evidenced by his album being previewed on MTV.com, and also by the fact that he was the first official artist to sign with Glassnote Records, ran by highly regarded industry veteran, Daniel Glass. However, the second release from this solo artist certainly doesn’t seem capable of making the industry splash that his label hoped for.

Unfortunately, the entire album does little to stand apart from similar artists in the industry, and the songs themselves seem to unintentionally jumble together. Also, the lyrics of the album lack substance; and, while the themes of most of the songs are respectable, the lack of lyrical depth hurts the album’s overall value. One of the definite downsides to this album is the lack of distinction between the songs. While songs like “Maybe,” “Your Call” and “Stay Close, Don’t Go” are good songs, the problem with that is they were also on Vesely’s first release, “Awake.”

Besides those three songs, the title track, “A Twist In My Story,” “Why” and “Suppose” are other notable songs. “Suppose” is realistically one of the only songs on the album that breaks away from its monotous course. Vesley sets down the acoustic guitar for this song, and the band behind him, which separates this album from “Awake,” is strong throughout the song.

Ultimately, the album’s downfall is the fact that it has been done before, not only by Vesley, but by other artists. Not only has it been done before, but it’s been done better. Secondhand Serenade sounds too much like Chris Carabba’s brainchild, Dashboard Confessional. While the comparison may seem like a good thing, the unfortunate thing is, it’s not. “A Twist In My Story” lacks the intelligent lyrics and creative song construction that Dashboard Confessional is known for, and because Secondhand Serenade’s sound is so similar, his music fails in comparison to Dashboard Confessional’s.

While Secondhand Serenade’s first release, “Awake,” was a decent first release from the acoustic-minded artist, “A Twist In My Story” failed to utilize that momentum, and the album is ultimately a let down. Although there are some noteworthy vocals and intelligent pop-sensible ideas strung throughout the album, most of the album falls short in overall direction.

Although Vesely may be able to bank on his good vocals and emotionally-minded lyrics for commercial success, in order to recreate himself as a legitimate artist in the music industry, he must start taking some chances, and not allow himself to get stuck in the mold that he has created for himself. Choice Tracks: “Suppose” and “A Twist In My Story.”
     
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