Folk rocker Langhorne Slim’s strength also gets him the most flack.

The nature of the Brooklyn-via-Pennsylvania singer/songwriter’s music — rooted in guitar strumming mixed with poetic lyrics of hope and heartache — gets him a lot of comparisons to legendary singer/songwriters, like your Dylans and Guthries, but leaves him on the “tries but fails” side of the comparison.

“If you’re a white boy that plays an acoustic guitar, you get compared to legendary people that none of us are,” the 29-year-old artist explains. “I’m just trying to do my thing the best I can do it.”

Whatever that “thing” is has helped Langhorne Slim carve out a following through rousing folk tunes, restless touring and an energetic live show. Before any record deals came his way, Slim built buzz playing open mic nights in New York City at esteemed spots like the Sidewalk Cafe and thrived in those venues’ intimate surroundings.

“From an early age, I always had that ability to connect with people in that type of atmosphere,” he says. “It sort of helped me believe that I really could do it.”

His abilities eventually got him out of the NYC open mic scene, picking up his merry bandmates, the War Eagles, and signing on to V2 Records for his 2005 debut “When the Sun’s Gone Down” before getting dropped soon after when the label went under.

As much as Slim says that time “sucked,” positive events were to come. He signed to Kemado Records and in 2008 released his self-titled follow-up, earning critical acclaim for his emotive vocal stylings, tuneful melodies and sonic texturing. All this led to a watermark performance on “The Late Show with David Letterman” the same year, which Slim says immediately aided in his and his band’s trajectory.

“I definitely noticed that we were treated a bit differently afterwards. ... You’re somehow validated,” Slim says. “Then, it sort of fades out and you have to be good.”

Langhorne Slim’s progressively diverse sound led to gigs at prestigious festivals — like the Newport Folk Festival and Lollapalooza in 2009 — before the release of his latest album, “Be Set Free.” It’s an album that displays Slim at his most eclectic, with the pedal-steel tinged soul of the title track, the orchestral touches and Cat Stevens-esque tranquility of “Sunday By The Sea,” the tears-in-beer ballad “I Love You, But Goodbye,” and the upbeat, hands-in-the-air sing-along “Say Yes.”

The album may blend pop, country, blues and rock, but Slim is quick to note it’s all coming from the same place.

“I don’t try to necessarily write in one style, and I love music,” Slim says. “For me, I want to be open to whatever moves me.”

Langhorne Slim will perform with April Smith & The Great Picture Show at 10 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Record Bar in Kansas City. Tickets are $10. For more information visit www.therecordbar.com.