For Lia Pappas-Kemps, expressing herself through art has always been second nature. This is evident in the confident, natural flow of the Toronto-born singer’s new emotionally unsparing, sensuous and playful debut EP, Gleam. On the project, which she wrote between ages 16 and 19, she sounds fully formed, demonstrating influences from throwback alt-rock to ’70s troubadours to modern indie rock but never truly resembling anyone but herself. The EP begins with “Star,” a psych-rock anthem with an alt-rock slant somewhere between mid-’90s Radiohead and Alanis Morissette. Songs like “Star” and “All Mirrors” are among the more recent compositions on the project, the latter showcasing her deft chops with its winding, ear-catching chord progression and visceral vocal performance. Raised in Toronto, Pappas-Kemps started sharing her songs and covers of other artists she admired on social media in her late teens. In 2021 and 2022, the 20-year-old musician announced herself through a series of singles, including the grunge-inflected “Jinx” and the gorgeous, swooning ballads “Sad in Toronto” and “Object at Best.” She views Gleam as a fragmented love letter to her teenage years. The project also traces her progress while finding her songwriting voice. But nothing about the EP is underdeveloped. Instead, every track plots a crystalline moment in an engaging coming-of-age story—one that will feel compelling for anyone for whom desire has felt as heavy as the weight of the world.