Picture this: a passionate skateboarder, whose visions and future of a pro career disappeared due to a massive leg injury. During his rehabilitation, this said skateboarder finds a new passion in guitar, singing and songwriting. Now if you replaced the skateboard with a surfboard, you’d have Jack Johnson, right? Wrong. Though Matt Costa has toured with Johnson and is on his label, their only major similarity is the stories of their introduction to the music biz. Costa has kept his own unique sound and steered clear of any imitation of Johnson, despite his high involvement with him.
The first song I ever heard from former skate prodigy, Matt Costa, was the sweet ‘Lullaby’. This song was done in collaboration with Jack Johnson for the soundtrack for the children’s movie Curious George. Though the song was intentionally for children, there was something I found soothing in Costa’s voice. And no, I’m not a child (legally, anyway), but the song was something any audience could relax to. It did have the usual Jack Johnson cruisiness to it with the backing vocals and acoustic guitar, so when I noticed that Matt Costa’s debut album Songs We Sing, was a product of Jack Johnson’s record label, Brushfire Records, I have to admit, my expectations weren’t that high in terms of variety. Don’t get me wrong, Brushfire Records has produced some great some stuff like Johnson’s albums and Donovan Frankenreiter, but this mellow surf rock genre is starting to sound a bit monotonous. Thankfully, I was proved wrong when I listened to Matt Costa’s first album. Unlike Brushfire predecessor’s Johnson and Frankenreiter, the mood isn’t restricted to mellow.
The more I listened to Costa’s album, the more I thought his voice could be likened to that of Ben Folds. This irked me ever-so-slightly until I concluded that Costa’s voice isn’t as emphatically American accented in his vocals as Folds’.
His opening track, ‘Cold December’ is a light-hearted ditty that’s probably best listened to in summer while driving in the car. It’s almost a softer version of the Wannadies ‘You and Me’.
We get a taste of the old Brushfire Record tradition with track two, ‘Astair’. It’s an easy and relaxing listen. That’s not to say that the whole album’s soft. Costa manages to draw from an eclectic and varying form of genres on this diverse debut album. His uniqueness as a singer-song writer branch into regions of country, roots and blues with a modern flavour that would probably make it an album for all ages to enjoy.
His track ‘Sunshine’ is the illustration of a great roots track with beautiful acoustics and harmonies.
Another thing you’ll notice about Costa is his plucky experimentation with guitar riffs on certain songs that set him apart from such artists as Johnson. By no means is he a Hendrix or even a Harper, but its nice to here a Brushfire Record that isn’t purely acoustic rhythm. You’ll find a hint of this aspect in his song ‘Sweet Thursday’, which is of a more rock persuasion.
Songs like ‘Behind the Moon’ and ‘Sweet Rose’ bask themselves in the country genre and definitely got my toes tapping.
His concluding track, ‘Wash Away’ has the almost haunting affect that Simon and Garfunkel gave us back in the day. It is an enchanting track, with just enough string orchestra present in it to give it its magic. But at the same time, it doesn’t turn it into an overblown opera.
My only real disinterest in the album was perhaps the order in which the tracks were laid down. Through the middle of the album the tracks almost mesh into one long song, which can be a bit dreary. But as individual songs, Costa has put in a great effort for a first debut album. I truly believe though, the only way is up for this artist, who has room for improvement but has definitely proved himself capable.
de-tec-tive
said ages ago