生长于加州Huntington Beach 的Matt Costa,在12岁的时候获赠生平第一把吉他;不过很快的,另一项更刺激的活动吸引了他--滑板。虽然比一般滑板选手还晚接触这项运动,但是加倍勤练的Matt Costa迅速展现了过人的天赋和技巧,甚至差一点点就转为职业选手。不过三年前练习时的一场严重意外让Matt Costa摔断了腿,不仅得花18个月治疗和复健,也从此改变了他的命运。在那一段人生中的低潮时光,他重拾吉他投入全副精力练习弹奏和创作,并开始用简单的录音器材灌录自己的唱作。
Matt Costa有一副天生的好嗓子,清冽明亮,也许是在加州长大的缘故,他的歌声阳光明媚,没有任何阴郁与颓废,即便是“Cold December”这样看起来冷冷的歌,在有如寒风一般的吉他声刮过之后,留在在你耳边的还是暖暖的阳光。
这是一张可以从头到尾微笑着听完的专辑,Matt Costa很善于在配器和演唱的细节处营造一些小趣味,象标题歌“Songs We Sing”开头和过场俏皮的口琴,“Sweet Rose”里的小颤音、“Whiskey And Wine”里那声“Oh!”,小小的精致的幽默感恰到好处又不会有卖弄的感觉,让你听着听着不时嘴角就会泛起一丝微笑。
Matt Costa的作品旋律极为清新明快,整张专辑里隐隐约约闪现着乡村音乐、摇滚乐、爵士乐、古典音乐以及60年代流行乐的味道,充满了信手拈来自成一派的妙趣,专注的嗓音加上娴熟的吉他弹奏,眼前不禁就会浮现出一个青葱少年的形象,后来上网一搜他的照片,还真就是一副校园歌手的模样,可见乐由心声还真是有这么回事。
“Whiskey And Wine”属于听过一耳就忍不住要翻来覆去听的曲子,老派的爵士曲风在Matt Costa妙手调教下,变得如此灵动妙趣,即兴重复的片段韵味十足;“Oh Dear”、“Desire's Only Fling”应是向老式英伦摇滚致敬之作,而“Behind The Moon”则是带有踢踏舞曲节拍的怀旧小品;“Sweet Rose”则又是一幅加州乡村风光,轻松、跳跃的甜蜜玫瑰;“Sunshine”,开唱前用来替代架子鼓鼓槌敲击声的“1、2、3”加上那句“sha la la”,越听越象是校园歌手,污浊的唱片工业总算有点清新空气了;压轴的“Wash Away”是专辑里我非常喜爱的一首,诗一般的歌词配上Matt Costa深情的吟唱,Matt Costa的才气真是让人妒忌
Born in Huntington Beach, CA, in 1982, Matt Costa received his first guitar at age 12. While he was always interested in music, even playing in a band in high school, Costa's first love was skateboarding. His dreams of going pro came crashing to an end, however, when he seriously injured his leg in a skateboarding accident at 18. During his year-and-a-half-long rehabilitation period, Costa decided to refocus his energy on songwriting and guitar playing, and began using a four-track to make demos. One of these demos found its way to No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont, who liked what he heard so much that he offered to produce Costa's music, and soon they had recorded two independently released EPs, Matt Costa and The Elasmosaurus, as well as a full-length early version of Songs We Sing. These caught the ear of Brush Fire Records owner Jack Johnson, who was impressed by the young musician's work and signed Costa to his label and invited him to open his 2005 summer tour. In 2006, Costa's official major-label debut, Songs We Sing (slightly different from the 2005 indie version) was released. Unfamiliar Faces followed in 2008.