Indie music fans are going to have to stop complaining about the lack of original music talent in State College.

Penn State graduate Eric Himan's latest release, I Go On, which hits local stores Tuesday, will help put this cow town back on the indie music map.

This is the kind of acoustic music you overhear in the coffee shop while you're chatting with friends -- except if it was Himan's music playing, you wouldn't be able to ignore it as background noise.

The stop-what-you're-doing-and-listen power of I Go On isn't due to advancement in indie music. This CD follows the typical recipe for folksy, indie rock down to the washed out color of the CD cover. It's got the typical vocal and acoustic guitar driven melodies and the guest accompaniment on percussion, bass and piano that come standard with any singer/songwriter.

My decisions to listen to this CD some six times the first day I got it wasn't hurt by the fact that it was recorded in State College. However, Himan's execution of indie music is just too powerful to write him off as another local banging on his guitar.

What he lacks in originality of style, he makes up in skillful execution. "These are one of those sentiments/ I'm reluctant to say," Himan warns the listener with the first words on his opening track, "Delicately Made."

The rest of his lyrics follow suit, mixing emotions that are introspective enough to make you feel like his confidante with enough vagueness to encourage you to put your own stories into the song.

His power also comes from his voice. Himan knows right when to pause and when to let his thick voice carry the song. The result is a mix that will have you tapping your toes, especially on tracks like "Us Little People."

The addition of guest musicians adds welcome fullness to a few of the tracks, though its influence is so subtle that you may forget you aren't sipping coffee with friends downtown.

Himan still keeps most of the tracks completely to himself, such as "Did You Know?," proving that Himan and his guitar are at the heart of I Go On.

Though some songs have tints of twang, jazz and blues, I Go On is pure indie.

This isn't the polished, catchy stuff that pop/rock music fans feed on. Indie fans, however, couldn't ask for more -- other than more local musicians like Eric Himan.

Himan will be performing at 11 p.m. Monday at Mike's Music, 226 E. College Ave, before I Go On goes on sale at midnight.