David Garza Holds Out Hope for Connection

David Garza knows how to work a room, perhaps because his tremulous folk-pop demands little more than a small, intimate space to breathe freely. On Thursday at Largo, the Austin, Texas-based artist, who’s in the midst of a weekly residency at the club, stuck to a winning cabaret strategy, keeping the patter to a minimum while the songs tumbled forth at a steady clip. Two major-label albums into his career, Garza is shaping up as the spiritual heir to Jeff Buckley, but with more humor and less angst.

Rather than affecting a modishly cynical perspective on relationships, Garza holds out hope for an enduring connection. In his most moving songs, the protagonists are emotional users and abusers who have to work their way back to a renewed faith in love. He’s a sharp lyricist, sketching the contours of complex relationships with a few deft strokes.

An engaging performer who clearly likes to keep things unstructured, Garza split his hour-plus set between a short, predetermined list and a number of shout-out requests. Garza accompanied himself with finger-picked melodies on an acoustic guitar and sang in a high-pitched, oddly affecting flutter, while pedal-steel player Eric Heywood provided gentle, unobtrusive accompaniment.

The material was mostly drawn from Garza’s strong new album, “Overdub,” but other writers’ songs fit snugly into the set. Garza chose “For You Blue” and “Something” for his inevitable George Harrison tribute, two modest valentines that complemented the show’s gently ebullient vibe.

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David Garza plays Thursdays through January at Largo, 432 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A., 9 p.m. $10. (323) 852-1073