Shawn Mendes, “Shawn.”

Shawn Mendes opts for a moodier, more organic and acoustic sound on his fifth album, Shawn. It’s a quiet giant, entering with a soft-spoken murmur, but delivers a quiet confidence. These dozen tracks avoid expansive production and sleek pop arrangements and instead are often nothing more than Mendes plucking the strings of an acoustic guitar over a quietly pulsating kick drum.

The music, his first album since 2020’s Wonder, falls somewhere in between Taylor Swift’s folklore era and Ed Sheeran’s Autumn Variations. Tracks like the bouncy “Why, Why, Why” have a breezy melodic flair with a quiet calm as Mendes sorts out his own fame and how to process it.

“I stepped off the stage with nothin’ left/ All the lights were fuckin’ with my head/ But here I am, singin’ songs again,” he sings.

It’s understandable for the 26-year old to be grappling with his celebrity. From the high profile on-again, off-again relationship with Camila Cabello to the cancelation of a 2022 tour to work on his mental health, Mendes has plenty of things to mull over on the album. The songs are quick, most clocking in at just about two and a half minutes. Shawn Mendes makes his point and moves on.

The heartfelt “Nobody Knows” is silky smooth folk that oozes melody.

“I don’t really know who I am right now,” he declares on opener “Who I Am,” which at a minute really serves more as a vocal mood setter.

The encouraging “That’s The Dream” has a little more bells and whistles than the other material. There’s a lush layering of acoustic stringed instruments. Mendes locks right into the pocket with a smoky harmonized vocal. With its harmonica-laden backdrop, the folky sway of “Isn’t That Enough” nearly leans into bluegrass territory. There’s an impressive musical maturity here in not falling back on some of the tried and true methods of pop and branching out in a way that shows more of himself rather than that of collaborators or producers.

One of the more contemporary-sounding tracks is upbeat stomper “Heart of Gold,” which has a rootsy, toe-tapping groove. ”Heavy” brings a pronounced rise and fall, with a dramatic build-up that crescendos into vocal harmony effect, as if he’s backed by a choir. The pace then calms further on the airy “That’ll Be the Day.” Mendes makes sense of trying to move on to a new relationship while feeling some connection to the past.

There’s a surprise or two along the way, Mendes finishes off the record with an earnest acoustic cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” It’s a song that’s not only been covered a ton, but also one that brings a high degree of difficulty. Mendes does a solid job. Along the way, “In Between” and “The Mountain” keep up a Jack-Johnson-like acoustic pluck with a raw simplicity that adds a welcoming warmth to the music.

“Rollin Right Along” is a sneaky good song the revives the choir, giving it the slightest hint of a gospel sound. As fans might expect, Shawn is an album that pairs with a glass of wine and deep thoughts, not one for the block party or club. It’s an admirable step for a still-budding talent.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.