Other than Medieval monks stuck inside the monastery copying old books and a few writers suffering from agoraphobia, artists are made to roam. This is why, primarily, the rockstar autobiographies released in recent years are travel books. But is this just something that artists are expected to do, or is it a necessity for their work?
Their families would be the first to want to know that. You get the sense that for many of them, travel is as much a blessing as a curse, that it works in the same way that a reporter is required to go out and obtain information. Essentially, artists go out on scouting missions. But, in truthfulness, they also go out to escape the burdens that have landed on their shoulders.
Tom Costello’s “Coastline” is a musical travelogue. However, the focus of the four songs found on the EP is not to describe or advertise the train trip from New York to New Jersey. As with any great travel story, the trip is merely an excuse. It’s the click-clack of the railroad tracks that helps offer some perspective and inspire the song collection.
The EP opener, “Dark Clouds,” introduces a dark omen and an urgency. The song is powered by a blues-rock guitar motif, similar to Tom Petty’s “Saving Grace,” that adds tension and allows the song to open and reveal the world Costello is singing about slowly.
That world is, for the most part, made up of people just like him – creative types looking for answers to hard questions. And, since Costello is a student of old blues, folk and rock, the myths of these genres make their way into his music. “Something’s Coming for Me” might sound as ominous as the verdict Robert Johnson received back at the crossroads. But Tom Costello isn’t that gloomy. His rootiness is used to create a pretty, palatable sound that recalls the 90s mix of alt-rock and the blues.
Meanwhile, “Dean’s Song” is a nostalgic song about connections that have been broken and all the distance that the songwriter has needed to put between himself and those troubles.
Where does it all leave us? Tom Costello is a strong singer with an ear for a pretty melody. Some of his thoughts on this journey may be tortured, but he never attempts to pour misery onto his audience. The EP’s closer, “Coastline,” is the strongest evidence of this. This is moody roots-rock, and distant memories weigh heavily on Costello’s mind. But it’s also a well-structured song, well-performed, and easy to enjoy. It’s a warm kind of melancholy, and as the train reaches its station or as the EP reaches its conclusion, you can’t help but feel that the trip itself has taken some of the troubles away.
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