You won't necessarily want to rush out and tell all your friends about A Mark on the Pane, at least not right away. Upon encountering its simplicity and intimacy, you'll want to keep it to yourself for a little while and get to know its songs inside and out, basking in their gorgeous, temperate glow. For a first album, Melbourne-based Wells and his band are already masterful at establishing an identifiable, welcoming tone and sustaining it. They don't work within a widescreen scope --hushed, delicately mournful acoustic pop is what they do -- but it's an immediate, concentrated one that occasionally beams like Technicolor.

Somber and plain-spoken, Wells summons unavoidable Elliott Smith comparisons, but I kept thinking more of a young Paul Simon at his most restrained and choirboy-like. Either way, the man has a terrific voice. He works skillfully in tandem with the album's muted instrumental palette of acoustic guitars and pianos, low-humming organs and harmonium, and occasional glockenspiel. He excels at sounding sad and sweet without seeming morose, and that makes the difference between an album weighted down by self-pity and one that resonates sympathetically.

In lesser hands, Wells's subject matter could make for ineffably depressing songs. "Chandeliers" and "Reduced to Clear" both reference once-owned belongings given away and left to collect dust in garage sales and pawn shops. "Even In the Crowds" argues in favor of examining and understanding a failed relationship rather than ignoring its implications. However, on "When We Do Fail Abigail", Wells acknowledges to his loved one how fragile such a relationship can be over time, while advising her not to wallow in despair about it. What this music ultimately stresses is a balance of optimism and realism. Little touches, like a chiming guitar or piano hook or lush, comforting harmonies, give songs like "Broken By the Rise" and the eloquent, wistful "Even In the Crowds" a gentle uplift that's crucial to their charm. And when Wells attempts a genuinely optimistic love song with "If You Bring Me Aubergines", you really feel its impact.

Three instrumentals flesh out the album to varying degrees of success. "Petit Mal at a Grand Occasion" holds on to the previous song's last note and lets it reverberate like waves lapping towards a shore. The brief "Segue in GM" shimmers along nicely, but the six-minute "A Dark Horse Will Either Run First or Last" might have been more effective with some editing; concluding a 32-minute album, it leaves you wanting a few more songs with vocals. However, A Mark on the Pane still emanates enough awe, beauty and substance to leave a lasting imprint.