We’ve all seen the jokes about just how old all of the Stranger Things kids are getting, but when you put things into perspective, it’s quite impressive just how much Vancouver’s Finn Wolfhard has achieved at the age of 22 – between the aforementioned big-budget acting gigs and balancing two bands prior to this debut solo venture, it’s no wonder that most of the material on Happy Birthday is concerned with aging, stress relief and longing for the simplicities of childhood.

Featuring guitar tones that oscillate between fuzzy garage-rock and more bright and melodic material said to have been inspired by the work of fellow Canadians Alvvays, there’s something about the DIY quality of the album that feels endearing, knowing its origins. 

Whether it’s the imperfect vocal takes as Wolfhard switches in and out of his falsetto, the cryptic yet carefree lyrical content (there’s an aside about crunching on Pirate Paks at White Spot, and a moment where he cuts through the mix to sing “Rocking chair, flying through the fair”), or the raw mixes, there’s something touching about this snapshot of a child actor exorcising these emotions in a way that’s all his own when not being whisked between sets or handed scripts. It’s because despite the overhanging sense of Gen-Z malaise, Wolfhard sounds like he’s having a blast. At this age, we all hate our birthdays – but we can still enjoy the party.