New York City singer-songwriter Marcus Wolf, who asks to be called Wolf by his listeners, grew up with a guitar in his hands and hasn’t put it down since. His second album, Shallow Breath, shows off his instrumental and songwriting maturity. Released on his own Occupancy 1 record label, Shallow Breath runs the gambit in regards to influence and styles. The first thing that hit me was that fans of John Mayer would welcome this album. Their voices are similar, but Mayer fans who can appreciate him for his writing can find common ground with Wolf. In addition to the singing and songwriting, Wolf’s backing band contributes many instruments that keep each track different. The piano keyboard doodling on “In The Name Of” gives off jazz feeling while “Nothing” has a more mainstream alternative feel, similar to an acoustic Everclear, minus the pop facade. “Timeless” throws the listener a bit of a rock-oriented ending, and “Blue” has an obvious blues style. Go figure. Shallow Breath is very easy on the listener’s ears, but not to the point that it becomes an over-the-counter sleep aid.