DeKalb does not have a reputation for boasting well-known local bands. Local cover bands, maybe, but that’s where it ends. Dan Smolla could change that.

A DeKalb resident and former NIU student, Smolla’s new album, “Hearts in Traffic,” is the modern embodiment of everything that singers Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Tom Waits had to offer years ago – only Smolla’s sound is anything but modern.

The first track on the disc, “Kissed the Fist of a Star,” has a clean sound to it with crisp guitar, poetic lyrics and background vocals popping in at odd times.

The following song, “Lagoon,” stumbles quickly into the mix and somewhat wrecks the relaxed mood that the previous track had established. With vocals that try a little too hard to be “Dylan-esque,” the bulk of the song serves only to jar the senses, similar to witnessing someone having a seizure.

A few ditties down the line, “Kites that Make the Wind” would be the perfect song to take a nap to on a warm summer’s day. With the windows open and a cool breeze drifting in, Smolla’s lyrics would make for a fitting lullaby.

Now comes the turn for the worse.

Track five, “Pretend to Know the Moon,” is a spoken-word piece that doesn’t quite work. As you sit with headphones on, expecting track four to ease into another similar folky tune, your ears suddenly and deliberately are assaulted. The barely audible rumble of a woman’s voice creaks through, with the message having something to do with … moons? Regardless of the singer’s intentions, the outcome is just plain eerie.

The true jewel hidden within the album comes in the form of “Circular as a Friend.”

An excellently crafted song, the slow and calculated vocals, blanketed with the slightest hint of an echo, create a relaxing and reflective mood. As the last noteworthy song before the album’s end, it’s not enough to save the lackluster quality of the rest of the tracks.

Although less than half of “Hearts in Traffic” is truly memorable, the songs that do float to the surface deserve attention. As a new recording artist, Smolla could stand a few more hours in the studio to fine-tune the songs that sink before they’re given the chance to swim.

For a local singer/songwriter, Smolla’s body of work has an enjoyable folk influence that could be filtered into more of today’s music.

“Hearts in Traffic” is worth a listen, even if you only listen once