When it comes to debut albums, I always feel the temptation to describe them with stock phrases like “a promising start” or “a first attempt at self-discovery.” But with Ryy0’s record titled H0M3, it’s a completely different case. This album immediately reveals itself honestly and directly, without detours, carefully turning inside out the personal world of someone unafraid to share their life with us — painful, at times naive, but remarkably sincere.

In his debut record, Ryy0 tells the story of the past two years of his life. He touches on the most ordinary events — moving, returning to his parents, painful breakups, and joyful encounters — but does so with such intimacy that it feels like I, we, the listeners, are secretly peeking into his journal left open on a kitchen table after a long and difficult day. H0M3 is filled with moments that define a life — and they’re not grand, dramatic events, but quiet, barely noticeable changes within us, often invisible from the outside but leaving a deep trace inside.

The first thing you notice when listening to the album is how natural and free Ryy0 feels in his creative space. He wrote all the songs, arranged them, and did the entire mix himself. This complete autonomy gives the music something special — an authorial individuality that, in my opinion, sounds more vivid than a studio-perfect recording by a professional team.

The album opens with the end, and it’s interesting that the first track is called the end while the last one is the beginning, creating a cyclical structure for the album. In the end, indie rock guitars and soft, pop-leaning vocals create a cozy atmosphere. Then, in the track h0m3, the sound becomes heavier and more energetic. There’s a rock groove here that brings a particular energy, carrying a sense of inner strength and a readiness to move forward.

The most emotional and arguably painfully beautiful moment comes with the track i’ll find my way?. The dark atmosphere of this piece evokes a sense of isolation, loneliness, and the kind of inner dialogue we often have with ourselves while trying to reach a decision that still feels out of reach. Here, Ryy0 writes a letter never meant to be sent — a therapeutic exercise in itself that helps to move on by letting go of the past.

But just as you’re sinking into that feeling of despair, the album offers a moment of relief with the instrumental track upside. The music here feels almost cinematic: guitar parts gradually replace the voice, and instead of lyrics, a story of a first date unfolds — delicate and touching, told without a single word.

Naturally, the emotional arc reaches its peak in the track this is it, where there’s a sense of lightness and playfulness, reflecting that simple yet incredibly rare feeling of “meeting the one.” It’s almost a springtime song — warm and easygoing, like an evening walk through the city with someone who now means everything to you.

The album’s finale — the beginning — closes the circle, with Ryy0 both finishing his story and opening a new chapter. It’s bright pop-rock with guitar riffs that immediately catch the ear, and the vocals come through confident and joyful, as if the artist has finally found his grounding. The track is both heartfelt and energetic, fully living up to the album’s concept — leaving the past behind and stepping into a future where everything is now different.

H0M3 is a carefully crafted story, told with a kind of openness and warmth rarely encountered in contemporary music. It’s a sincerity that can’t be performed or faked — it either exists or it doesn’t. And in Ryy0’s case, that sincerity is absolutely real, which is why his debut sounds so piercing.

But let’s be real: self-producing an album is one thing. Writing it entirely yourself is another. Doing both — and mixing it — is a tall-ass order. And yeah, there are moments where things could’ve been a little tighter sonically, but the imperfections add to the charm. This is personal. It’s messy. It’s real. It’s someone choosing to share their life without filters, without features, and without clout-chasing.

H0M3 is exactly what it claims to be. A homecoming, a reckoning, a restart. Ryy0’s not reinventing the wheel, but he’s building his own car with the parts he has. You can hear the nails in the frame. You can feel the weight in the welds.

Verdict: Heart-on-sleeve indie-pop/rock that actually says something. Give this one a spin at night, alone, or on a walk where you’re finally ready to leave some old shit behind.

Standout Tracks: “the end”, “i’ll find my way?”, “upside”, “the beginning”

*This review was made possible by SubmitHub