Today's Pick

The up-and-coming artist Katie Costello has out a music video for "How Do We Know?" the first single off her latest five song EP, "The City In Me." Produced by multi-instrumentalist David Lamoureux, the songs explore the uncertainty, excitement, and feelings of displacement that accompany leaving one home to find another. On the day after last Christmas, Los Angeles native Costello packed up her life and moved across the country to New York City. The product of her first year in the city is the charming and captivating "The City In Me," is a solid collection of tunes that rewards repeated listening. The melodies, as well as the sentiments expressed in the lyrics, sink in deeper over time, these songs reinforce her talent.
As musicians and music-listeners alike venture into a creative climate in which technological elements often define an artist's sonic and visual identity, Costello emerges as a unique & timeless example of an authentic artisan shinning amidst the frequently clouded backdrop of modernity. Almost as if her spirit has been frozen in another day and age, her perspective is one that far exceeds her surprisingly young age. She writes about the human condition – Our ever present desire to find peace, identity, home, and understanding.
"How Do We Know?" closes the set, with Costello musing that perhaps she hasn't been the "best boss" of herself. She asks some tough, maybe unanswerable, questions about how one can determine if things are working out. Her conclusion is simple but true: what's done is done, but we never stop dwelling on the past. In another ear-catching twist, the skeletal arrangement is fleshed out with a full band for its final minute and a half, complete with dirgelike backing vocals. The track shows Costello's vocal range and passion, exhibiting a wisdom that belies her mere 19 years. The vocal "oohs" and "ahhs" in the background harmonize perfectly with Costello's sound. The last verse's key change makes the song the most memorable on the EP.
It takes quite a lyricist to make me stop, think, and dig apart a song's words. The lyrics are simple, wise, witty, and honest as they are delivered through her innocent voice. A mere 19 years of age, her lyrics explore symbolic despondency and thought-provoking lines that you would think you would find in a proverbial handbook. Her infectious voice and honesty make for a fresh sound that is inviting and never tiresome. The Lyrics and Melodies are a Heartful Combination of Soul, and Mind. They are genuine and real. Costello has the pipes of your favorite studio-polished pop star, but also boasts an added bonus: an intellectual depth and an eye for insight that translates your world into her poetic, lyrical songs. If you thought you didn't like poetry, you'll be surprised how catchy it sounds when Costello sings.