Singer/songwriter Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional) better watch out, there's a new six-gun in Emo town. John Vesely, the sole member of Secondhand Serenade, makes Carrabba's teenage songs of angst seem like fairy tales. Vesely, formerly of California alternative rockers Sounds Like Life, walks the musical landscape alone, a tortured soul with an acoustic guitar strapped to his back.

Awake, Secondhand Serenade's debut release, which is essentially a solo album from Vesely, is an exercise in teen suffering and confusion. Vesely, a gifted songwriter who doesn't complicate things with a jumble of chords and flamboyant playing, opens a musical vein on the disc and lets his thoughts bleed all over the stripped bare production. The 12 tracks are highly personal; whether he's singing about a broken relationship or looking over his shoulder at a past he can't leave behind, Vesely lays his soul bare.

Emo singing is an acquired taste. Fortunately for his fans, Vesely possesses a voice that is easy on the ears. On the enigmatic "Maybe," the California native harmonizes with himself throughout. The singer even adds a bit of call and response backing to his lead vocal, which adds a coolness to the tune. Vesely, the only musician on the entirely acoustic disc, overdubs simple melody lines overtop his own rhythm guitar tracks.

"Half Alive" is a cliché choked track saved by Vesely's solid acoustic interplay and haunting vocals. "It's okay that we're dying, but I need to survive tonight," the singer laments. "I Hate This Song" will become an anthem for teenage girls with puppy-love eyes and crushed hearts this summer. Vesely plays his guitar like it's the only thing in the world that is keeping him from slipping into the abyss. His voice pushed to the point of cracking, Vesely pleads with his girl to either love him or let him go.

The dark clouds lift for the Goo Goo Dolls-esque "Take Me With You." Vesely's fluttering acoustic guitar erupts from the speakers like a burst of bright sunshine. Love knocks the singer off his feet and into bed with the most beautiful woman he has ever met, a woman he promises to love for "now and forever." Once again, Vesely laces the track with thick, pitch-perfect harmonies.

Awake was recorded in 2005, and originally released independently by Vesely through his Myspace.com page. After kicking up a great deal of dust on iTunes, Vesely signed with Glassnote Records in 2007 and re-released the album with two extra tracks. A new album will reportedly follow later this year.

By Todd Sterling