In 2022, Finn Wolfhard—the Canadian actor and musician who’s balanced his high-profile gigs on Stranger Things and the Ghostbusters franchise by making noise in ramshackle indie rock groups like Calpurnia and The Aubreys—set himself a goal to write 50 songs by year’s end. The result is partially captured in the nine-song punch of his self-titled debut solo record, which is heavily reminiscent of Guided by Voices rock hero Robert Pollard as well as the clattering intimacy of early Car Seat Headrest. Kai Slater of buzzy indie acts Lifeguard and Sharp Pins throws in on production here, and the resulting vibe is so DIY that you can literally hear a teakettle whistling in the background of closing track “Wait.” Elsewhere, the beaming power pop of “Choose the latter” was inspired by current indie rock titans Alvvays, but as with the entirety of Happy Birthday, mere mimicry is far from what’s on order here; the tunes flow free as if they were piped in from the ultimate suburban garage jam session, making for a debut outing that’s effortlessly satisfying.