Unequal parts adult-alternative singer-songwriter, twee folkie, and amateur acoustic bluesman, Aaron Lopez-Barrantes could have been just another sensitive college kid from Chapel Hill who decided to transplant himself to New Orleans in order to grab himself some boho legitimacy. But despite his apparent love for John Mayer, he avoids the pitfalls of callow douchery to an amazing degree on his debut, recorded here at Better Than Ezra’s Fudge Studios.

He’s been playing several of the best local restaurants and hotels, which explains the tranquility of these 10 tracks; Aaron’s ace in the hole, however, is his unerring sense of atmosphere. When he sings “I walked all around the beautiful graveyard,” he captures the sound of that image in a way most outsiders can’t; his adopted city’s strange attraction to romantic decay fits his lyrical and musical obsessions perfectly. He’s not as deep as he thinks he is yet—“Home” has the precise shade of blue one might find Steve Miller indulging in during his late psychedelic period, but the closest he comes to wisdom is “It’s a long and winding road.” Still, his stance is clearly not a pose; it’s hard to resist the universality of lines like “Am I just a ghost?” or “Hey old friend, it’s been a while,” because his guilelessness combined with his mastery of mood—the strings match his voice sigh for sigh—often sneak up and catch you unaware. At this first stage of his career, being pretty and honest is enough. Watch this one.