Josh Da Costa—New Wave Graveyard

It's not often I'm left short for words, but this album had me transported to a world far, far away. That world, while tinged with the 80s, is actually more specific than that. It's a John Hughes movie. Even that may be becoming a reference the younger generation isn't familiar with. John Hughes was one of the biggest writer-directors of the 80s, responsible for huge hits such as "Sixteen Candles", "Pretty in Pink" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", to name just a few. One of the things that made those movies so memorable was their soundtracks, and listening to this album is like listening to the soundtrack of a John Hughes movie that never was.

The album opens with probably my favourite track, "Skygirl". There's an irresistible drum and bass line which, while distinctly different, still gives me The Smiths "How Soon Is Now?" vibes. The lyrics have that dreamy, ethereal feel, but it's the bass line that really drives the track.

The rest of the tracks all have that same amazing sense of belonging to a story, a feeling or an emotion. It gives the album an incredible atmosphere, which is likely to be even more powerful for people of a certain age who can feel that pull back towards their youth.

There are plenty of 80s influences here, from The Cure, OMD and The Police, at times, even ELO, with "Proving Me Right" being a case in point. As I listened to the album, I kept getting flashes of memories: movies, vacations, friends, and a time when we lived for our music. I have to say, that feeling is intoxicating.

I didn't want to go through the album track by track saying "this sounds like..." and "that sounds like...", because while there are plenty of comparisons to be made, I think doing so would detract from the amazing work that's gone into creating something that feels so cohesive. I'd love to get a sense of Josh's influences, though, and see whether they tally with some of the bands I've mentioned. Because while those influences are there, there's an incredible amount of Josh's own creativity in this album, and that has resulted in something quite spectacular.

Highlights for me are the previously mentioned "Skygirl" and "Proving Me Right", along with "Hospital Clown" and "After Your Heart".

The only track that left me a little cold was "Tissues". Musically, I think it's OK, but the lyrics just made me feel, well, annoyed. It's a strange reaction to have, but I suppose that's also testament to the fact that the song managed to elicit such a strong feeling from me.

I did have an issue with quite a few of the tracks, specifically with the vocals and how they're produced. At times, the lyrics are really hard to process and require a lot of focus to understand. While listening to some of the songs, I'd find myself in a strange kind of zone where I was focused mainly on trying to work out what was being sung. It didn't detract too much from the songs themselves, and it could simply be my ears or the way I'm listening, but I thought it was worth raising.

Overall, this is a tremendous album. I think it works on two levels: for those who have memories of the 80s and feel that instant pull towards them, and for those who simply love that style of music. Of course, for quite a few of us, me included, it's going to be a double whammy.