Dimapur singer-songwriter Abdon Mech released his debut single last year. He doesn’t sound like he just started out on this straight-to-the-heart EP, though. In fact it’s quite remarkable that his singing, writing and playing is as assured as it is. Debut releases really have been improving over the last few years with artists not just putting themselves out there with material that’s just cobbled together. The idea of having something high-quality being the first thing you hear from someone is one that’s not easy to pull off, but ‘From A Bamboo Room’ sounds as established as anything else. It’s also helped by the fact that Abdon writes songs perfect for a good old buzzed evening crying sesh.

In music-labelling terms, that’s indie-pop acoustic guitar-based music with classic melodies and young romance. Abdon’s voice is tailor-made for this; it’s smooth and when he croons, it doesn’t sound cheesy (the subject matter of head-over-heels love is often fraught with that danger). His guitar is also simple and backs up the melodies. ‘Human’ is an absolute triumph in this regard and features the nicest chorus on the EP. There’s nothing else to the song besides vocals and guitar, but it sounds full and the whole 'shy, young love' thing is dialled up to 11. This is a great tune. ‘Human’ is also similarly built but a bit more wistful, so there’s something to look back on for all the nostalgia fans. There’s a much more pronounced indie-folk vibe to this (think the late 2000s when ‘indie’ became the misnomer it is today) and some very washy, cavernous electric guitars for added body. ‘Come My Way’ introduces elements of another popular sound, which is the jangly, clean and simple type of rock Mac Demarco and gang introduced to the big wide world. It’s always been a warm and comfortable sound and his equally direct vocals complement it. ‘Gonna Be’ is another quiet reflection like the first two tracks and has the same palate, while closer and single ‘Give Me My Soul back’ is rooted much more in the more contemporary indie-rock stylings that artists like Phum Viphurit have been using with great success. Of course, Abdon has a much brighter, poppy and upbeat presentation, so this track provides a bit of welcome sunshine to end the EP.

‘From A Bamboo Room’ is yet more proof that a debut release does not have to take wild risks to be strong. There’s nothing experimental or particularly game-changing to be found here. Abdon just stays in a comfortable pocket, sings some love songs with solid writing, has a good mix and most importantly, focuses on doing these things well. There’s no showboating or upping the cool factor, but there are just five simple songs. And they go over all the better because of it.

Listen to 'From A Bamboo Room' here and on all platforms.