Band: Matt Costa
Album: Songs We Sing
www.mattcosta.com



Coming off touring in Europe with Jack Johnson, Matt Costa is a name that is beginning to be heard more and more often. Although the tour and collaboration on the Curious George soundtrack has made Costa very popular lately, he certainly isn’t just riding a wave of fame. There is nothing but good things to say about Costa’s full length debut. “Songs We Sing” is a truly breathtakingly beautiful album.

The tunes on this album are all pretty different from each other. While some songs are played with a full band, others are acoustic. Furthermore, other songs such as “These Arms,” “Astair,” and “Songs We Sing” are more heavily influenced by a specific instrument like the piano, harpsichord, and harmonica (respectively). The last song of the album, “Wash Away” features some cello and violin work.

“Songs We Sing” can make you feel like you’re watching parts of different movies sometimes. I say this because the songs are so different from one another, and they each seem to have their own little theme to them. “Ballad of Miss Kate” is like a bluesy western. I picture gunslingers for sure. Others like “Oh Dear” remind me of some cheesy 60’s pop band playing on a game show. “Oh Dear” is one of my favorites though, and I say cheesy in the good way—where it’s sort of expected to be cheesy (the mood, not the song).

“Songs We Sing” is exactly what you want a debut album to be. It’s diverse, it’s powerful, the lyrics are good, and it’s not boring. Matt Costa is a voice that needs to be heard, and with all his recent success, it’s safe to say that he and his sweet melodies should be around for a long time.

Band: Since By Man
Album: We Sing The Body Electric
www.sincebyman.com



Since By Man is a band that holds nothing back. It is for this reason that I couldn’t figure out whether or not I liked them at first. Their music on “We Sing The Body Electric” is gritty and raw. I suppose some people would like to classify Since By Man as a sort of screamo band. However, their music is not like the newer emo-screamo music that takes no effort whatsoever to put out. “We Sing The Body Electric” is an abrasive album, one that will leave a lasting impression, good or bad.

Most noticeable on their debut release “We Sing The Body Electric” is vocalist Sam Macon’s singing (or should I say screaming) style. You know that screeching sound that is produced when a nail scrapes against some other equally rusty piece of metal? Yeah, aside from the parts where it’s more like loud talking or scratchy yelling, that’s pretty much it. These type of vocals are certainly not for everyone, but I must say that they fit well with the rest of the album.