A new label can mean a fresh start for some artists, and with Jack Johnson at your side, you can only move forward. Singer/songwriter Matt Costa is one such rising star.
Songs We Sing is the former skateboarder’s first full-length studio album. Originally released last year, the album is getting a major label Johnson’s Brushfire re-release. But this remastered, remixed and rearranged effort is not a repeat of their first. It now includes four new songs that weren’t on the original.
Costa is not just a Jack Johnson clone. His casual-yet-bouncy folk rock recalls The Beatles and Donovan (The British folk singer famous for the song “Mellow Yellow”) more than anything else. Costa mixes these influences fairly well to create a record filled with simple folk, folk rock,lightly psychedelic pop and even a little country.
“Astair” contrasts the opening track’s indie-pop by sticking to the basics. A simple finger-picked acoustic guitar ballad is the most genuine song on the record. The light harpsichord in the middle of the song adds texture, making it more then a simple folk song. “Astair” is the album’s highlight, a simply beautiful ballad.
That’s not to fault the rest of the album. Costa decides to tackle country with “Sweet Rose,” a country-pop ditty that channels Buddy Holly into its chorus. The way Costa accents his syllables in the vein of Holly gives the song a feel of its own, but also makes it slightly recognizable.
“Oh Dear” sounds like something The Beatles may have recorded, but in this case it comes off as too generic to stand out. The album closes strongly, with the haunting “Wash Away.” The composition is strong from start to finish: the simple layering of acoustic guitars, the slight touch of drums, Costa’s vocal layering and strings that pick up near the songs climax. The haunting lyrics that fade out to finish the song is the perfect ending to the album.
If Songs We Sing has one fault it’s that it feels more like a collection of songs than a fully cohesive record. That isn’t necessarily bad, since the album is still an above-average collection of songs. The young Costa has a great deal of potential; he’s a very talented singer-songwriter with a chance to make a splash, especially with Johnson’s seal of approval.
By Rudi Greenberg
