Tumbleweed by André Costello

Tumbleweed 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.

Tracklist

1.	Tumbleweed (They Call Me)	4:13

2.	Equestrian Dreams (In A Bad Way)	4:09

3.	Vultures	4:59

4.	Heart Strings	5:48

5.	The Fade Out	5:05

6.	Rainstorm Interlude	1:44

7.	Every Now And Then	6:23

8.	Go Easy	3:17

Credits

released November 8, 2011

Andy Scott, Nate McDonough, Gretchen Jacobs, Steph Neary, Keith Knecht, Robert McCollough, Kevin Coral, André Costello, David Polkrivnak

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