Steve Marion returns with his slide-guitar-fueled Delicate Steve project, releasing his third album under the moniker and first for his new label, ANTI-. This Is Steve picks up where 2012’s Positive Force left off, delivering a quick-hitting collection of various soundscapes, topped off with Marion’s typically lyrical, earworm guitar lines. A self-proclaimed studio rat whose output thus far has been informed mostly by what cool sounds he can create behind the boards on his own, Marion says that this record was the first one he’s made with an eye toward his live show, and the results can be heard in the rock-and-roll guitar tones (that actually sound like guitar, for a change) of “Cartoon Rock.” Another single, “Winners,” has an Elton John-inspired opening melody and feels like a long, triumphant drive on the open road, and the chunky, reggae infused “Nightlife” is appropriately followed up by the hangover-cure swoon of “Tomorrow.” The title track that closes out the record is deceptively subdued for an eponymous introduction to such a high-energy artist, but most of This Is Steve provides old and new fans all they need to know about Marion’s free-flowing, expansive and ultimately satisfying musical ethos.