Stephen Brodsky is primarily known as the front man of Cave In, a band that has always had a certain “rock god” status in their old stomping ground of Boston, which is where I was first introduced to them and their unique take on metal. At a sold-out show, opening for Boris, it was pretty clear the second Cave In walked on stage (recently reunited at the time) that almost everyone there was there to see them.

If you are a fan of Cave In, you may be as surprised as I was to hear frontman Stephen Brodsky’s new solo EP. A short collection of gentle folk songs, Hit Or Mystery balances a pastoral beauty with a psychedelic vibe all complemented by Brodsky’s soothing voice. There’s a lot of variety here too — “Days Of Heaven” balances acoustic guitar with subtle electronic touches; the single, “Real Surreal Beauty” is a sweet, delicate love song, and “Your Sweet Love” builds Brodsky’s vocals around a gorgeous drone. The whole record sounds beautiful in a fragile and patchwork way — and it’s an unexpected surprise. Listen to in its entirety below.

Hit Or Mystery is out 4/16 on Little Black Cloud.