You’re allowed to take your time in Americana music, based as it is on old folk traditions; one of its main appeals is the way it can slowly unfold itself, whether telling a story or simply creating an atmosphere. Houston­-via-­Lafayette expat Babineaux comes off like an alt­-rocker with his floating band of South Louisiana vets, but his approach is definitely more personal, and the seven songs on this debut EP aren’t afraid to take their sweet time to tell you what’s on their mind.

As for what they reveal, and whether that’s worth the wait… Well. He’s got a pretty good handle on the atmosphere, thanks to the excellent production, and when the whole band kicks in, as it does on “Eastbound” and “It Won’t Last,” it might hit you right in the feels, especially if you’re on a rocky relationship streak. But Babineaux doesn’t have the insight he sets you up for,and he’s depressingly literal much of the time, as if writing a song about writing a song was a statement in itself. Worse, his deep, appropriately twangy but somewhat weak vocals tend to get swallowed up in the mix. Matt only really starts to explore his dissolution on the closing title track, but it’s too little, too late: Overall, A Place to Fall doesn’t bother to justify its leisurely, minimalist approach. If you’re going to be a man of few words, you should weigh those words carefully.