Michael Cera has released a surprise album of bedroom folk and pop. The collection of 18 short songs was announced by Cera’s Superbad co-star Jonah Hill and was immediately made available as a paid download.

“My great friend Michael Cera [is] not only is a brilliant actor, he also makes great music,” Hill tweeted, with a link to what appears to be Cera’s Bandcamp account. The corresponding album, titled True That, is priced at $7 (£4) and comes with three “bonus tracks”.

Most of the songs are instrumental, mixing piano, organ, guitar and lo-fi vocals. Cera’s choice of musical tags seem to sum it up: “alternative / dirty / hello / home recording / modest / music / New York”. But these tracks also evoke the work of Cera’s friends Nick Thorburn (of Islands) and Honus Honus (of Man Man) with whom he toured as a member of Mr Heavenly.

“Coming through the filter, sweet upon my lips / the smoke mollifies the lung into which it rips,” Cera sings on Ruth. Though it may seem like satire, the vocals sound sincere. “She’d only just lost the baby, seven months and a week / Drank a month of Seagrams, kissed me on the cheek.” Elsewhere he covers a sincere, decades-old country tune by singer-songwriter Blaze Foley.

Besides his work with Mr Heavenly, Cera made a guest appearance on Weezer’s 2011 single Hang On, and covered the Moldy Peaches for 2007’s Juno soundtrack. The 26-year-old Canadian is currently performing on Broadway, alongside Tavi Gevinson and Kieran Culkin in This Is Our Youth.