If you are like me, where melodies, beats, and vocals are far more important than actual song meanings and lyrical prose, then you will certainly enjoy Matt Costa. Unfamiliar Faces, his second album is more Mika than Jack Johnson.
This album shows the multifaceted talents of Matt Costa. Likewise, the album is a great mix of an upbeat modern sound, as in “Mr. Pitiful” and “Lilacs,” and then switching back to the mellow, bluesy, folksy, singer-songwriter feel in “Never Looking Back” and “Vienna.” I don’t want to call him out on cliché lyrics, as this is the case with too many artists these days, but I wasn’t particularly blown away by this aspect of the album.
Armed with only a guitar, harmonica, and piano, Costa was more creative in the musical side of the album. He has received a lot of undue criticism for being “too experimental” and not “creating a distinct sound.” I’d like to know how this is a bad thing. Anyone who has ever looped a Jack Johnson album while driving will know exactly what I’m on about. I usually throw a cd in and consciously listen only when I’m stopped in traffic. There is always this feeling of “ugh, this song again???” You don’t get this feeling with Unfamiliar Faces. For this, I must give him praise.
“Heart Of Stone” creates a strange feeling of desperation while “Miss Magnolia,” which follows, has a cheerful tempo. These two songs have a hint of southern influence and perhaps is an indication of the direction his music is going in. I liked it.