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Like folk heroes, Jeffrey Lewis and Adam Green, Malcolm Hirsch draws inspiration from everyday occurrences and arbitrary introspection. Donning his middle name as his stage name, Govier’s debut, Hermit Crab, is a candid dictation of his life.

“Caving” combines the downward spiral vibrations of Elliott Smith with the quirky emotings of Daniel Johnston. The song relates to stale relationships devoid of emotions and openness (I wanna get inside that beautiful brain of yours / you won’t let, anyone touch with a stick”). The outro morphs into a mini electronic freak-out, with whizzing bleeps and buzzing burps.

Vignettes of his daily life, Govier doesn’t need to fluff it up to corral listeners’ attention. “Posters” revisits the last moments of a relationship, evident by removal of the MLS All-Star posters, as the last things left to pack before the move. Accompanied by wobbly note bends and sunny strumming, “Fever of 102” reminds us why it sucks to be sick, being locked out of doing social things with our friends. Govier’s apathetic vocal-styling, a-la Stephen Malkmus, with “holy shit I’m just so sick / don’t feel so good.” Ordinary lines that anyone would say, but its the layabout delivery adds subtle sarcasm to the track. This humor extends to his interactions with others like with a homeless man on“Said You Were,” and giving life advice to a random “contemplative little blonde haired girl” on “Cutie Pi.”

“Pink Tile” and “Hermit Crab” encapsulate Govier’s fanciful demeanor, which also reverberates through his Microsoft Paint artwork. On “Pink Tile,” Govier talks about his fondness for his “pink tile” named “roxy doxy oxy…” but not caring enough to take any shit it throws his way. Occasionally, Govier addresses personal anxieties and ruminations. Singing from the point-of-view of a hermit crab, Govier dives into his fears of being a disappointment with self-deprecating humor and instrumentation reminiscent to “Jack-Ass”.

Borrowing the wry humor often found in “anti-folk” and putting it together with the tempered charm of bedroom music, Hermit Crab is a product of Govier’s whimsical world, which probably isn’t much different from mine and yours.

CEREAL PAIRING: Fruit Loops (to-go pack), enjoyed on a bench in the middle of town and soak in real-life