Straylight Run rose from the ashes of the original lineup of Taking Back Sunday, one of the better known bands of the emo empire. Yet instead of trying to repeat a surely tired formula, former TBS vocalist John Nolan and Co. instead managed to make somewhat good piano-based rock on their 2004 self-titled album. The memorable single, “Existentialism on Prom Night,” is a perfect example of this.Songs off their 2005 EP, “Prepare to Be Wrong,” like “Hands In The Sky (Big Shot)” manage to make the band come off like a poor man’s Muse. Though it’s sad to say that this album doesn’t quite hold up either. Their most recent release, The Needles The Space, attempts to make a rather strange transition into a more folksy, indie-based sound, which sadly doesn’t work in their favor. In truth, it’s a brave move. And while it is nice to hear Nolan share vocal duties with sibling Michelle DeRosa (who gets a few songs of her own), it’s ultimately also what causes a divide within the album. DeRosa’s voice fits well with the new sound they’re aiming for (almost Regina Spektor-like), but Nolan’s singing still seems based in emo, causing a clash between his voice and the music.Case in point: “Soon We’ll Be Living” is sung by Nolan, an attempt at upbeat indie with hints of acoustic guitar that somehow falls short. The mellow, fluid sounds of “The Miracle That Never Came” is pulled off pretty well with DeRosa at the microphone. “Soon We’ll Be Living in the Future” is a good song with Nolan on vocals, but only because it’s more reminiscent of their past work than the overall aim of Needles.The significant changes made to the band’s music can be slightly irritating if you’re not a devoted fan. To hear them go from well-done piano melodies to the random insertion of instruments and the unnecessary use of a synthesizer is a surprise, and not in a good way. What bands like the Arcade Fire and The Shins do effortlessly makes Straylight Run look like they’re trying too hard when doing the same.If stripped of what sounds like an accordion and random notes played on a xylophone, “The Words We Say” would still carry the guitar and piano and overall, sound much better for it.This isn’t to say that bands shouldn’t try to branch out. Many do, sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing. This jump in sound wasn’t necessarily a stretch for Straylight Run, but somehow they just weren’t able to completely connect with the music they were trying to create.