Chuck Moore’s debut as Cartalk, Pass Like Pollen, is an album about holding on to what you’ve had and have—charting an emotional path for moving forward, while understanding the importance of looking back. Merging the loud, grungy guitars of classic indie rock and emo with country-esque songwriting and Moore’s undeniably affecting punch of a voice, Pass Like Pollen hits you hard immediately and leaves a beautiful mark.

Drawing from influences ranging from classic folk rock and the no-holds-barred songwriting of Jason Isbell to unapologetically honest contemporaries like Hop Along, Moore has crafted a flawless debut that addresses, in their words, “Trying to feel grounded when something has changed—when you get used to someone in your life, and that shifts, but you still have yourself. You take on these new experiences. It’s one big lesson.” First single “Noonday Devil” charges forth while ruminating on unseen pressure and the complications it causes, while the spiky ebullience of “Wrestling” centers on the tricky but rewarding balancing act that is achieving self-acceptance while also making progress from within. And closing track “Sleep” hangs on Moore’s deeply felt vocals and a driving melodic backbone to provide a cathartic sense of closure—both to the album itself, and to the experiences that brought Moore to this point in their life. “It’s about looking back at what was, as well as the objects that are still there that bring me back to that time,” they explain. “I hold on to things that I don’t necessarily need to hold on to. Objects are tangible memories that trick yourself into thinking that person is still with you—but when you let them go, you realize that the person is still a part of your life.” And it’s essential life lessons like these that ring through Pass Like Pollen as a whole—cementing Moore as an important new voice in the landscape of indie rock, and beyond.