John Ralston may have received an early career boost from his association with emo kingpin
Chris Carrabba, but
Sorry Vampire has more in common with sedate power pop than
Dashboard Confessional's insular acoustics.
Ralston places as much emphasis on the album's expansive production as the songs themselves, with gauzy layers of acoustic guitar, strings, and omnipresent harmonies piling themselves atop his double-tracked voice. Give him an Ambien, and
Ralston's artfully weary vocals might stray into overwrought
Conor Oberst territory. As it stands, however, his voice is calmly confident and flanked by miniature indie pop symphonies -- so that even when
Ralston sings about loneliness and depression (which he does on the bulk of this sophomore effort), he rarely sounds lonely and depressed. "You never cared, so why would you start now?" he asks during the whimsical "A Small Clearing," whose effervescent keyboards and insistent percussion help offset the song's somber content. Similarly, the leadoff track "Fragile" is actually quite sturdy, its alt rock riff boosted by syncopated handclaps and cooing harmonies. The contrast is effective, especially on the gorgeous set-closer "Where You Used to Sleep" (whose outro comprises 90 seconds of
Beach Boys-styled a cappella), but
Sorry Vampire shines just as bright when instrumental uplift is paired with likeminded lyrics. "No One Loves You Like I Do" is an unapologetic anthem, complete with a chiming glockenspiel-filled chorus and drums lifted from
Coldplay's
A Rush of Blood to the Head. It's the only genuinely positive track on the album, but it also proves that
Ralston's music doesn't hinge completely on the singer's melancholy. And really, what does
Ralston have to be sad about?
Sorry Vampire easily matches -- if not eclipses -- his
Needle Bed debut. ~ Andrew Leahey