Songs We Sing

Released in 2005 and later championed by Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records, Songs We Sing established Matt Costa as a premier voice in the mid-2000s indie-folk scene. While often associated with the 'surf-folk' movement due to his California roots and association with Johnson, the album reveals a much deeper debt to the Great American Songbook and 1960s pop craftsmen like Donovan and The Beatles. The recording is characterized by its use of vintage instrumentation, including prominent upright piano, harmonica, and glockenspiel, which lends a 'chamber folk' feel to the production. The songwriting often deals with themes of transience and simple living, exemplified by the title track's lyrics about 'living off of anything.' Its critical standing remains high as a benchmark of the era's acoustic revival, noted for its melodic sophistication and timeless, sun-bleached atmosphere that avoids the clichés of its genre peers.