Danny Marks is a man who wears his hometowns on his sleeve. He was born in Chicago, musically trained in New Orleans, is now living in New York City, and he uses these cities as muses for his variety of alt-country. His experience shows in this well executed album, but somewhere he falls short of the blend of sounds he is trying to create.

Playing with backup band the Solars, Marks’ dissonant folk is satisfying, if not original. He often layers harsh harmonica over Dylan-esque rhythm guitar, adding in anything from zydeco beats to jazz horns to fill out his sound. However, many times these additions come off as unfocused rather than eclectic. In “Before,” he moves from easygoing reggae to a chorus filled with urgent distortion, and what was an attempt at artful juxtaposition ends up confusing. In the moments he backs away from flaunting his influences, he can be quite enjoyable. “One and Only Life” stands out as a swaying country ballad with no superfluous sounds. However, these moments are brief, and most of the album ends up running together.

Marks seems to be a victim of over-inspiration. While the goal of these musical combinations is a lofty and admirable one, not reaching it makes for a lackluster album. His heart may be in the right place, but his music still has a way to go.