Back in the studio for the first time in three years, Toby Marks seems to have a little difficulty finding his groove. It will disappoint those fans who yearn he return to his earlier style that culminated in Last Train to Lhasa. While The Magical Sounds of Banco de Gaia and Igizeh had a definitive theme and sound, such coherence is lacking in You Are Here. 

"Zeus No Like Techno" is stunningly good. Marks brilliantly takes a Greek melody, twists it, turns it, plays with it and molds it with a driving techno beat.  The opening track "Down From the Mountain" is also good. It begins with the Marks' signature extended crescendo (almost too long at over four minutes), building into a trippy beat and vibe that wonderfully sets up "Zeus No Like Techno."

But things then fall apart, as the CD descends into "Waking Up in Waco" a political track irreparably damaged by a tinny hip-hop beat. Even Jennifer Folkner can't save the ponderous "Gray Over Gray." Darkly moody, it attempts to be an introspective torch song, but before the end of its 12 minutes you want to open a vein to escape it. Things briefly pick up with "Tongue in Chic" and its silly trip hop dance fun, but then collapse again with the discordant and dull "Not in My Name" and "We Are Here." Finally, "Still Life" is so childishly horrible, with its samples and simplistic keyboards, it is hard to believe it is a Banco de Gaia track.

So, there are three good tracks, and five really bad ones. Let's hope Marks follows the trajectory of songs like "Zeus No Like Techno" and returns to form in the future.

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