For his sophomore effort, 2 A.M. WAKEUP CALL, former Nine Inch Nails member Chris Vrenna is again at the helm of Tweaker, and the multi-talented drummer-songwriter-producer delivers an impressively varied collection that incorporates beat-driven electronica, brooding alternative rock, and some of the industrial flourishes of his previous band. Vrenna orchestrates the sonic melange by carefully balancing heavier, darker elements--those that draw on hard rock and industrial--with lighter electronic soundscapes. This balance of energy and ambience sets the perfect stage for the talents of Vrenna's guest vocalists as they explore the album's nocturnal themes of dreams, nightmares, sleep, and insomnia. Returning from the first Tweaker record are alt-country troubadour Will Oldham (on the surprisingly rock-oriented "Ruby") and avant-crooner David Sylvian (on the dreamy "Pure Genius"). The album also features Cure frontman Robert Smith on the slow shuffle of "Truth Is," and Hamilton Leithauser, vocalist for the Walkmen, on the distortion-filled dance track "It's Still Happening."
