After Dark

Pete Yorn follows his haunting debut with the kinder, gentler Day I Forgot.

Day I Forgot, Pete Yorn's recently released second album, is not a Memento-esque tale of amnesia, nor is it a thematic sequel to his 2001 debut, musicforthemorningafter. "It's actually about remembering more than forgetting," he says. "Remembering to keep things simple, remembering what's really important. It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget why you were first attracted to something whether it's music or dentistry or a relationship."

Yorn, who was raised in New Jersey and now resides in L.A., has had much to distract him in the past couple of years. They gold-certified morningafter, which juxtaposes upbeat melodies with lyrics that Yorn describes as "end-of-love songs," earned him a  following that includes Elton John, Liz Phair, Sofia Coppola and more than 500,000 less-fabulous fans. Although Yorn, 28, has considerable muscle behind him -- he's managed by his older brother, Rick, of the Hollywood talent powerhouse The Firm, and Columbia Records marketed the album aggressively -- morningafter was still an unlikely hit. The disc has a homemade quality and at times, it's a dark ride.

Day I Forgot has fewer rough edges, and many of the raw emotions have been replaced by a determinedly easygoing attitude; Yorn's lyrics are often like those stilted conversation in which a couple will talk about anything except the future of their relationship. "A lot of the songs are coming from trying to stay out of relationships, because I don't want to feel like I'm leaving someone behind when I go on tour," says Yorn, who headlines Hammerstein Ballroom Friday night. "I'm just trying to keep things light."

The singer displays a similar perspective on any pressure to live up to his first album's success. In fact, he's quick to downplay most things, not least of all the impact his family's considerable Tinseltown clout -- Rick also manages Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz; his oldest brother, Kevin, is a prominent entertainment attorney -- may have had on his career. "I mean, I grew up in Jersey!" he says. "My dad was a dentist; my brothers made their own way. I played [small clubs] for four years before I got signed." Nonetheless, celebrities are often sighted at his gigs; Matt Dillon turned him on to Guided by Voices; he's been linked romantically with Winona Ryder and Minnie Driver but insists that he's just "good friends" with both.

Still, while he mentions the names of screen idols as casually as those of college buddies, Yorn's familiarity with both illuminates his ability to fit with all sorts of people. "I ran with a lot of different crowds in school," he says. "I played sports, and I also played music; I was into the Smiths and the Cure and also bands like this," he says gesturing to his Monsters of Rock T-shirt. "I was always a hybrid type."

That quality has found expression in his music. Along with the work of like-minded singer-songwriters such as Ryan Adams and John Mayer, Yorn's music appeals equally to music snobs and casual listeners, to old fans and young. The influence of '80s-era artists like R.E.M. and the Smiths infuses his writing, as does the large-print sensitivity of his home state's patron saint, Bruce Springsteen. His albums are made according to the DIY methodology of '90s alt-rock -- scrawny guitars, odd arrangements -- and his sandpaper voice recalls that of Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. Yorn's music is comforting in its familiarity, yet his songwriting is distinctive and mature enough to feel new.

"[That maturity] was the first thing that struck me about Pete's songwriting," says R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, who played guitar and mandolin on Day I Forgot. "Morningafter doesn't fell like a first record; it feels like someone's third."

Phair, on whose forthcoming album Yorn plays drums, is more analytical about what's behind the music. "It seems like sometimes the songs form emotionally first , and it's a matter of how far he pushes it as to whether the lyrics clarify or stay ambiguous," she says. "Truthfulness is a slippery thing and is sometimes more apparent when less is said. He has that knack for making you curious to know more."

And sometimes, the more you learn, the less you know. When asked if morningafter's success has helped shape his new album's more upbeat flavor, Yorn cracks up. "I'm a freak," he says. "I could have a lot of money and be in the best relationship, and I'd just get darker, like, Oh fuck -- now I've got something to lose and it's all going to go bad. I always see things in weird ways." He pauses. "I'm actually a pretty positive person. I think I get all the [darkness] out in the music."

Pete Yorn plays Hammerstein Ballroom Fri 9.