PT Walkley on the wild side

PT Walkley likes trying different things.

His first album, "Mr. Macy Wakes Alone," was a double-album rock opera. He has handled the music for several of Edward Burns' movies, including the recent "Newlyweds," sometimes crafting a score, sometimes figuring out which of his songs would fit best in the film. And he has written songs (and done voices) for Nickelodeon's "Team Umizoomi," as well as the current season of "Sesame Street."

So it's no surprise that he packs all sorts of styles into his second album, "Thriller" -- from the Bon Iver-ish orchestral indie-pop of "The Way That You Are" to the breezy, Paul Simon-ish "Summer Song." Or that he does them all well.

"I wanted to go back to the homemade, hand-drawn vibe," says the Cold Spring Harbor native. "This is more straight from the tap, where I follow whatever wacky ideas that come to mind and see if I can execute them."

Walkley says the wild stylistic swings of the album, which hits stores on Tuesday, are there on purpose. "Those are the kind of records I like," he says. "They're so much more exciting if they're a jumble instead of all settling into the same place."

He says keeping the songs short -- most are less than three minutes -- was also part of the plan. "I've never been one for the long, rambling instrumental," says Walkley, whose next project is the soundtrack for Burns' upcoming movie, "Fitzgerald Family Christmas." "I like to keep things quick so that people can go back and listen again."

PT Walkley plays Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St., Manhattan, at 9:30 p.m. March 1. Tickets are $14, 212-967-7555, joespub.com.

Contact The Long Island Sound at glenn.gamboa@newsday.com or follow @ndmusic on Twitter.