The unfamiliar faces of Matt Costa

As soon as I was about ten seconds into this new video from Matt Costa, I already knew that yeah, I was gonna have to post it. When he steps in front of the panorama of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, where I have spent many a 25¢ Ride Night during the long hot summers of my teenage youth, I fell. This brand new video is for the playful lead-off track from Matt's upcoming second full-length album, Unfamiliar Faces (January 22, Brushfire Records).

"Mr. Pitiful" is the earcatching opener to a bright and largely effervescent album, but a collection that also finds Matt journeying into territory that is a bit deeper and richer. I heard more variation between the songs than in albums past, but he still maintains that enjoyable California vibe.

This video is directed by the Malloy Brothers, and casts Matt as a marionette-like one man band, travelling the well-known beaches, bridges, and thoroughfares of Santa Cruz and San Francisco. I can testify that walking across that train bridge at about the 1:30 mark is a bit unnerving (if it's the one I am thinking of) because it's just an open trestle. It made me smile to see it again.

And it's also a testimony to both of those wacky cities that I love that no one hardly bats an eye at the dude jivin' down the street wearing a big drum and a bowtie.

MR. PITIFUL - new video from Matt Costa
(click the yellow play circle)

And here's a bonus Friday goodie for you: a new slowburn song from Costa that feels like an orange sunset to me. It's one of my favorites off Unfamiliar Faces so far.

Never Looking Back - Matt Costa


Matt is on tour all over the place in the coming months with Johnathan Rice and Delta Spirit supporting.