Even with four albums under his belt, Doug Hoekstra remains an enigmatic artist, a singer/songwriter whose cerebral style has kept him teetering on the edge of recognition. Hoekstra’s latest opus, Around the Margins, is a bit too subdued to redefine that assessment, but it’s an intriguing and unusual work that further defines his elusive identity.

Hoekstra’s ability to combine folk finesse with smooth, surreal soundscapes makes "Around the Margins" an unexpectedly engaging set, a collection of melodic tunes marked with lilting, low-key arrangements. His whispery vocals bring to mind a mix of Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave, with a hint of Lou Reed thrown in for good measure. However, unlike those artists, his stealth-like approach rarely sounds strained; even the most elusive entries – songs such as "Lost Among the Ruins," "Laminate Man" and "Giving Up Smoking" in particular – weave catchy choruses and unusual instrumentation into an overall positive sound. Stylistically, he attempts to cover a lot of ground, meandering from the gospel-like flourishes of "The Life We Love" and "Birmingham Jail" to the quirky pop personas of "For the Woman" and "Strangers Eyes" and various points in between

However, it’s his hushed take on Bob Dylan’s "Isis" that is particularly effective here, and when he follows it with the Dylan-esque "Undone" (which in fact becomes undone as the song stumbles toward and unwieldy conclusion), singer and song are solidly in sync.

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