Debut releases have been getting better with time as the indie scene has improved home recording techniques and solo artists have begun giving appreciable thought to their first ideas. This results in a polish that is sometimes surprising. Take this EP from Gautam Trivedi (polkanose), ‘year one’. He cites artists like Jamiroquai and Daft Punk amongst his influences and that dance-funk flavour is all over the music here. But it doesn’t sound hastily put together, unfinished or anything like what a first release from a new artist traditionally would. This EP will have you out of your seat in a flash.

There are four songs here and they all make use of a few main elements: a strong and pulsing groove, the rhythm guitar playing that funk made and artists like Daft Punk sampled as much as they did, and absolutely killer basslines. That’s a pretty simple formula on paper, but pulling it off sometimes isn’t as easy. Polkanose knocks it out of the park. ‘retro’ has fantastic energy and once the guitar solo kicks in around halfway, you know this isn’t just some cobbled together arrangement. ‘precipitation’ and ‘insomnia’ delve into the bittersweet and slightly emotional part of the genre with generally great results. ‘unfair’ is a sudden departure into something like big room house and its contrast to the rest of the music here makes it equally memorable. Except for times where his vocals are a little too clear and pitchy, ‘year one’ fires on all cylinders and is incredibly rewarding. Get ready for some excellent morning walks.

Listen to 'year one' here.