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I was captured instantly by the line in Matt
Costa’s opening track from Songs
We Sing, “Yellow Taxi,”
where he dreams of how the car-for-hire can take
him away. This is especially fitting as I sit with
two phones going, one in each ear, and the afternoon
sunshine starts to beat through the windows, beckoning
me to breathe outside. This seems to be Costa’s
strongest trait, to comfort and soothe in the midst
of our everyday chaos.
Intricacy shines on “Astair” with
the use of one of my favorite vintage instruments,
the harpsichord. With all due respect to Mr. Prince,
Costa is what I would consider the prince of pop
on this hot August day, with the rosy freshness
of “Oh Dear,” as the fragrant bubbles
continue to rise up in a way that makes you want
to hug the songwriter.
The production style of Phil EK, who also polished
up previous Shins and Modest Mouse albums, seems
to show his mark from track to track, creating
what could be another soundtrack to the sequel
“Garden State, Life Goes On.”
Speaking of life, it does have a way of doing
the strangest things to take us in a different,
and often better direction, although it may not
seem so at the time. In the case of Matt Costa,
who at the age of 12 had stuck his guitar on the
shelf in exchange for the passion of the skateboard,
things came to a screeching halt when he shattered
his leg just as he started to turn pro. Now does
his name sound familiar? Well, during the 18 months
when he was in recovery and rehabilitation he
picked up that ole’ gee-tar and started
strummin’ and writin’ away.
It seems like he’s also had an eclectic
music collection to keep him company, going from
the sparkle of The Shins to the Strawberry Hills
of the Beatles and a dusty road trip to the old
country gas station on tracks such as “Sweet
Rose” and harmonica drops in the title track
“Songs We Sing.”
The skateboard world may miss one of their contenders
but the music community has a new hero on the
block, full of compelling insights and colorful
stories. Welcome.
Matt Costa plays withAnimal Liberation Orchestra
and Jack Johnson this coming Wednesday, August
24 at Red Rocks.
www.mattcosta.com
-Kim Owens, August 19, 2005
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