A singer-songwriter who grew up in the isolated town of Tropoja, Albania, the current Birmingham, AL, resident Armand Margjeka‘s debut album, Margo, Margo, is a mellow introduction to a full-bodied musician. After pouring over Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis cassette tapes as a teenager, Margjeka set out on a determined path to pursue his love of music and moved to the U.S. in his late teens. Having served as a producer for alt-country band Buffalo Black for two years, Margjeka’s shift from behind the mixing board to the microphone produces a pleasing, folky introduction.

Margo, Margo boasts a mixture of simple bedroom and studio recordings, creating an outdoor atmosphere throughout its nine tracks not unlike the worlds built by fellow peers Sea Wolf and Joseph Arthur. Margjeka’s distinct baritone floats through his acoustic finger-picking backed by earthy pedal steels, upright bass, slight country twang, and subtle mandolin. The contents of Margo, Margo’s songs detail the singer’s love and adoration for his one and only, most apparent on “What Feeling”, a steady-paced retelling of falling head over heels with rapid-fire lyrics. Margjeka’s older influences shine through on several tracks, like touches of Serge Gainsbourg and M. Ward styling on opener “Desire” and standout track “Alive”.

Margjeka doesn’t keep his passions a secret, either. Save for “Momma”, all of his songs touch on some much-loved attribute of or experience shared with his lover. “For This” professes the songwriter’s devotion, while “Little Bird” expresses thanks. Yeah, it sounds cheesy, but Margjeka crafts his songs in a manner that balances the sappy stuff with astute musicianship.

Clocking in at 40 minutes, Margo, Margo comes packed with lush sound and just enough Alabama twang and jangly guitars to keep the ear interested. Simple and doting, Armand Margjeka’s shining debut LP shows that this relative newcomer is one to keep an eye on in the singer-songwriter field.

Essential Tracks: “What Feeling”, “Alive”