Influences and inspiration make the art world go ’round. All artists find motivation in those who pioneered before them. But when there are too many muses, a creation starts to become muddy and loses its sense of focus.

This is evident in “Gone is the World,” the mish-mashed, multi-genre-pinching sophomore release of New Orleans native, The City Life. While it is a valid attempt at dance-rock and not without catchy hooks and foot-tapping beats, for some, the faults might outweigh the strengths.

Leaving the gate strong, the album begins with “White Elephant,” one of the more prominent and attention-grabbing on the record. Distorted guitars and synths slam the listener, giving way to the quintessential dance beat and a chord line eerily reminiscent of Franz Ferdinand’s “Take me Out.” Eventually singer Leo DeJesus’s lyrics enter, booming over the rest of the band and adding catchy melody lines to the piece.

With his nasally timbre and glissandos, DeJesus can be viewed as a cross between Jim Kerr of Simple Minds and Bernard Sumner of Naew Order, with just a pinch of David Bowie. All of this is certainly a nod to the rediscovery of ’80s U.K. dance music.

“Lady’s Days” continues the motif of catchy, combining bubbly, analogue-ish synth lines with DeJesus’s voice. Surprisingly, the two meld very well together. Also featured are bassist Aaron Souvinette’s fill and accompaniment abilities. Souvinette interjects uptempo breaks that fit the tone and lead the listener into the next verse. While his technical skills might be better than mediocre, poor mixing made the bass come off sounding tinny, the low-end being lost in the shuffle.

This mixing problem is prevalent throughout the record. From song to song, the drums go from muffled to overbearing, the bass frequencies come and go and the vocals are always too loud to blend with the rest of the band’s playing.

Another pox plaguing this album, like many before it and many to come, is the fact that it starts and ends strong, but the rest is just filler. Nothing from the middle of the album jumps out and grabs listeners’ attention. Instead, the songs just drone on, tangled up in their barrage of musical influences and toe-tapping simplicity.

“Microphones,” a long-running, distortion-heavy song, drips with a very Radiohead-esque paranoia. “I come in from the cold, it seems I’ve bought too many TV’s/…/Place on every wall, floor and ceiling so I can hide/Put them all on nature shows to make it feel like I’m outside.” Harsh, piercing guitar chords are strummed and do not mix with the poppy, sliding bass line. The chorus warns of microphones hidden in the walls, listening to everything and sometimes speaking back. The song rises to a crashing apex, then drifts off to make way for the next track.

Track eight on the album, titled “The City Life,” could easily be construed as a dusty, mopey take on Modest Mouse’s “Float On.” Both contain the same harsh verse and mellow chorus construct, melancholy lyrics about perseverance and sound remotely in the same key.

“We Deal” is the most robust and fulfilling track on the album, albeit because of the fact that it sounds nothing like any of the other takes. Instead of DeJesus’s howl, a woman (most likely the keyboard player, Lucy Gossett) croons out depressing lyrics juxtaposed with a peppy, syncopated keyboard line. “It’s not as bad as it seems/There ain’t no ‘I’ in ‘team’/So forget all your hopes and dreams.” Uplifting to be sure, but the break from the constant dance-pop is welcomed.

After completing “Gone is the World,” the listener is left feeling a sense of ambiguity; a vast array of influences and poor mixing prevent any underlying theme from shining through. But if you are just looking for a new record to throw on at your next party, it should get your inebriated guests dancing.

“Gone is the World” will be self-released April 4.

Chad Rutan can be reached at [email protected].