I’ve never actually listened to the radio at one in the morning, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if the stations were playing something like This Too Will Pass. Everything about the debut album from Hrishikesh Hirway’s brainchild, The One AM Radio, says “nocturnal,” from Hirway’s hushed croon to its ethereal, intimate orchestration (a bit of a combination between Postal Service electronics and Broken Social Scene atmospheric indie rock).

But what makes all of Hirway’s musical ventures most haunting is his knack for generating tension and release, alternating between the suspenseful and the cheerful like Kelly Clarkson alternates between a verse and chorus. “The Harvest” for example, a song about as close as indie rock will ever get to sounding like a horror film score (in a good way, of course), transitions right into “In The Time We’ve Got,” a polished, upbeat pop number; “Fires,” a murky, percussive dirge, segues into “The Echoing Airports,” a delightfully melodic little love song. This Too Will Pass’ happier moments are its strongest ones, and their juxtaposition between Hirway’s darker numbers make them all the more enjoyable.

“The Echoing Airports” in particular is Hirway’s songwriting at its best; This Too Will Pass’ instrumentation is almost always fairly spare, but here, the combination of the song’s sweet melody and sentimental lyrics feels all the more sincere over just a muted string quartet and gentle snare beat. Though Hirway often takes himself too seriously for his own good for now (“The Harvest” in particular seems a little bit overwrought), he proves to be a promising songwriter, and if closing track “Where I’m Headed” is true, The One AM Radio is headed on to writing plenty more great songs.