Riley Pearce was arguably destined for a music career after watching his father play in cover bands from a young age. By the time he was 17, the Perth alt-folk songwriter was busking at farmers’ markets, sprinkling original material into his own selection of covers. Pearce’s intimate touch shines on his debut album, most notably in his intricate guitar playing and soft, introspective singing. He rented a house on the coast to work on The Water & the Rough, encouraging the sights and sounds of nature to seep into the finished album. You might hear creaky floorboards and crunchy driveway gravel alongside a mallet-thumped couch for low-key percussion. Pearce’s storytelling is similarly informed by his surroundings: “Furniture” recounts the suspended sense of time and place during lockdown, and “8 Hour Drive” details traversing European countries while preoccupied by a single person. The latter leans into a fuller arrangement and a pronounced country pull, whereas full drums and backing vocals bolster “Keep Moving,” a poignant tribute to continually exploring in life. Fans of Vance Joy and James Bay should especially appreciate the wanderlust and creature comforts detailed in these tunes.