by Andrew Leahey 　　  　　The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus enjoyed a good deal of crossover success in 2007, when "Face Down" became an enduring single on both pop and modern rock radio outlets. Rarely had an emo band dominated the Top 40, much less with a song that employed screaming vocals, and the group's debut album surged to platinum status as a result. Released two years later, Lonely Road attempts to replicate its predecessor's appeal with a wildly eclectic track list, all the while remaining rooted in the typical emo trappings of nasal vocals, anthemic choruses, and distorted guitar stabs. Veteran producer Howard Benson gives the album a meticulous studio polish, stacking guitar riffs like bricks in an attempt to build something noteworthy, but Lonely Road ultimately collapses under the weight of its own spectacle. Vocalist Ronnie Winter is perhaps the worst offender; having allegedly suffered from bronchitis during the bulk of the previous tour, he embraces his healed throat by performing acrobatic flips and flourishes around every melody. Songs like "Represent" are mildly excessive, with string sections and fist-pumping guitars backing Winter's voice, but far worse is the doo wop/emo ballad "Believe," where the singer emotes with all the earnestness of an American Idol contestant mimicking Steve Perry. Later, the band employs an honest-to-God gospel choir during the title track, welcoming a wealth of Southern rock clichés and Kid Rock-styled soul into the mix. The most ludicrous highlight, however, is "Godspeed," a misguided war ballad brimming with rat-a-tat military percussion, a drill sergeant's voice-over, and an imagined story line involving bayonets and tear-sealed letters. Like the ten previous tracks, "Godspeed" is too far-reaching for the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, whose ability to perform these songs in a live context is questionable at best. Don't You Fake It may have suffered from a lack of variety, but Lonely Road is plagued by different diseases: misguided ambition, outlandish excess, and a bad case of the ol' sophomore slump.