André Costello

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Costello and the Cool Minors LP is André Costello’s debut album, an enthralling folk record that succeeds without mythical tales of cabin confinement. Recorded in his Pittsburgh home, the light, 35-minute affair introduces itself like a firm handshake on “Tumbleweed,” bursting forth with Costello’s enveloping vocal work. It’s a startling minor key take on the heights of Fleet Foxes’ brazen harmonies. As the record unfolds, folk instrumentation commingles with lo-fi electronics.

As Costello describes, “a truly good song’s core is its ability to be performed with only acoustic and voice.” That’s exactly what drives the music of Costello and the Cool Minors; a uniquely rich croon sidles right alongside indie folk contemporaries, but he stands on his own against genre forebears like Graham Nash and chief influence Neil Young. His often non-linear lyrics compartmentalize strange subject matter like horse-powered glue factories, as the acoustic skeleton of these songs is augmented by the occasional mandolin, an ominous harmonica solo (“In a Bad Way”) that conjures folk misfits Megafaun or a darker take on Talk Talk’s spirituality, and found sound textures (“Heart Strings”) that serve as the perfect segue way to his folksy meditations.

To compliment the album release, an acoustic performance of “Every Now and Then” was captured on the porch of the historic Patton House in Kent, OH. Costello’s talent is as evident as his breath vapor in the video. For first-hand proof, you can catch him on an upcoming full band tour in spring 2012.

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