• Courtesy
• Caution Horse, Wykyk

(Self-released, digital)

Some debuts don't sound like debuts. Take Wykyk, the new LP from New Hampshire project Caution Horse, which is surprisingly slick for a first-time act. Though Mike Mooney, the band's principal singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, is a new face on the scene, his Caution Horse partner is well known to Vermonters: singer-songwriter Mark Daly, who fronts the indie-rock/pop project Madaila.

The two have been friends and collaborators for years; Mooney directed many of Madaila's music videos and even a documentary about the band. Mooney and Daly checked into the latter's Charlotte recording studio to lay down the tracks for Wykyk.

Whether the credit goes to Daly's studio expertise, Mooney's songwriting prowess or both, Wykyk is as fully formed as any local debut in recent memory. From the folksy grandeur of opening track "Steam Train" to the synth-accentuated indie-rock number "Straight Shooter," the album displays a confident and distinctive songwriter in Mooney.

Track by track, he channels different troubadour modes. "Long Way Down" fucks around with an alt-country groove sprinkled with pedal steel guitar as Mooney leans into the gravelly side of his voice. The chorus opens up with supreme catchiness, showing how adept Mooney and Daly are at bringing songs to a pop summit.

Songs such as "Crazy Love" map out the partnership clearly. You can hear Mooney's country and folk instincts rub up against Daly's proclivity for pop production, with his programmed beats and subtle stabs of synthesizer. The collaboration bears all the hallmarks of a long friendship in that it even sounds easy. At times that's a good thing, but there's no getting around the fact that Wykyk is missing a sense of danger or risk.

The writing and production are handled with expert care. As a purveyor of tranquil vibes, the record is a home run. It pairs well with sunsets on the lake; a cold, overpriced IPA; and a really mellow strain of indica.

But, with few exceptions, Wykyk doesn't stray out of safe zones. Take "Ruby Got a Job." A mid-tempo folk-rock tune reminiscent of Blitzen Trapper, the song has some big hooks, a killer octave guitar solo and clever lyrical wordplay. The production is spotless; Daly has mastered his home studio. Yet there's a lingering sensation throughout that the song could go somewhere more interesting — maybe a strange bridge, maybe a key change — and it just never does.

It's not the only example. "Straight Shooter" starts an interesting conversation that doesn't expand from its initial premise. It settles into a mid-tempo groove, begging for a bigger takeoff that never comes, like a race car with the governor on.

The album closes on "Life on the Ocean," its most promising number. Mooney's and Daly's voices harmonize gorgeously over a soft rocker that ends with the line "I dream of you by my side," like an invitation to the listener. Caution Horse want to chill with you — no surprises, please.

Wykyk is available on all major streaming services.