Matt Costa welcomes 2008 with his second full-length release Unfamiliar Faces. The album cover and insert capture the many faces and personalities of Costa in photographic frames enriched by pinks, greens, and grays. But the 12-tracks (plus a bonus track and digital booklet when purchased on iTunes) reveal his true colors, showing a darker vulnerability of the singer/songwriter, a less familiar side of Costa when juxtaposed with his previous persona on Songs We Sing. What remains constant and comforting throughout Costa’s work are his engaging melodies, seamless instrumentation, touching lyrics, and angelic voice that uplifts even the most somber words. Unfamiliar Faces combines Costa’s signature folk rock timbre, both electric and acoustic, with experimental sounds and instrumentations from a range of genres, country to samba to bluegrass.
Reflection, regret, and wrongdoing underlie Unfamiliar Faces’ poeticism. The record’s single “Mr. Pitiful” opens Unfamiliar Faces with a not-so-pitiful, upbeat melody and bouncing beat. Upon careful examination of the lyrics, one sees that although false façades, heartbreak, and confusion have plagued the artist's past relationships, he seeks peaceful amends. The inspiration of nature appears and blossoms on “Lilacs,” which sparkles with impressions of flowers and precious gems. Despite this imagery, the story is not so sunny, with themes of loneliness and abandonment woven into wistful harmonies. Costa’s ability to match sound and story soars again in “Never Looking Back." Its acoustic country vibe of guitar strums, solemn melody, and trodding pace create visions of a traveler leaving a past, burdened with betrayals and traitorous relations. Medical puns and symptomatic woes infuse "Emergency Call." Suffering from insomnia, depression, and a delicate heart, Costa begs to be rescued by a “doctor” who can provide a “remedy.” The urgency of the matter pulses through pounding keyboard chords and the repeated pleas of “Doctor!” It is apparent that Costa needs attention and love, STAT. The album swings and slides into an unexpected smooth samba beat on “Vienna,” a song that transforms the European city into a long lost love. The title track “Unfamiliar Faces," another turning point for the album, settles into a familiar elegance, showcasing Costa’s acoustic guitar. The consistent topic of duplicity, maintained and bluntly expressed in this balladic composition, continues in “Cigarette Eyes” and “Downfall.” These two tracks sustain a relaxed tempo that contrasts with anxious motifs and restless lyrics. Swelling horns morph into staccato chords and set a sing-song pace for “Trying Not to Lose My Mind,” though Costa reveals personal frailties and pained self-esteem in his verse, “Well I met a girl, she didn’t like my song...” In “Bound,” a heavy yet swaying tempo, sultry slide guitar, minor progressions, and melancholy strings characterize both the “devilish” control of a woman and the failed attempt to detach from her despite the desperate yearning for freedom. One of the darkest cuts on the album is “Heart of Stone." Its tragic premise based on loss, lonesomeness, and death accompanies heart-wrenching melodies that emphasize the overwhelming nature of solitude. Thankfully, Costa still interweaves majestic ocean imagery made more graceful by flowing internal rhyme. Although Unfamiliar Faces returns with “Miss Magnolia” and a bright sing-along tune, weighty words do not escape. The iTunes' version of this album includes two renderings: one features a bluegrass jam with mandolin, banjo, and guitar, spotlighting Costa’s skills on harmonica; the second incorporates the faces of a fuller band arrangement. Both provide a satisfying closer for those familiar and unfamiliar to Matt Costa.
Unfamiliar Faces exposes many universal and intimate life experiences, and reveals the more emotionally fragile, perhaps unfamiliar side, of the singer/songwriter. "Mr." Costa has crafted a soulful and lyric-driven record worthy of praise and renewed compassion for the artist behind his music. Listeners should visit Matt Costa online at www.mattcosta.com, myspace.com/mattcostamusic, as well as Facebook, and will find the beauty of Unfamiliar Faces available on iTunes and music stores worldwide.
*Indie 103.1 will be presenting Matt Costa at the El Rey in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, May 17, 2008.
