Based in Plymouth on the Devon coast, MANUEL DA COSTA is well known in and around the south west of England, but his performances have also brought him to the attention of gig-goers in London, where the lad has recently been playing to promote this very record.
Described as “A journey from heartbreak to recovery”, the five songs here are focused upon just that. Written after the sudden end of a relationship spelt heartbreak for the singer/songwriter, they represent both the pain and the process of recovery.
Manuel’s live shows have been solo, with the songs stripped down and played with an acoustic guitar - but here he plays the synths and a piano, with collaborator Adam Poole responsible for the rhythm section. Hence, the EP has an epic feel, orchestrated with strings and intensified with delay/reverb. Sonic sounds also dart through the mix like flashes of lightning.
The title track opens with the sound of thin glass breaking merged with tinkling high keys but is soon a huge and shifting piece where the vocals echo with emotion as the music hangs heavy on the soul.
‘Life After Love’ jangles with delay-heavy melody that shuffles as the violin mirrors the heartstrings. It’s bittersweet and beautiful; Da Costa’s voice wanders distraught as he sounds out the pain and considers the huge dead space inside himself. It’s like he’s using the acoustics of his empty shell, and the results are endearing and consuming.
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Synthesised beats merge with real-time drum patterns as these melodic songs weave their magic over a series of steady rhythms, as the pain intensifies and then gently subsides. From bolt-upright middle of the nightmares followed by slow realisation to I’ll-do-anything pleas from the heart, this is a considered and honest collection that thoroughly explores the shock, panic, pain and despair of heartbreak. Inert and melodic, it is entirely therapeutic, his former lover represented only by the huge empty space left behind.
‘A New Beginning’ sounds like his attempt to convince himself that this really is a new start, and the samba-style carnival that’s whipped up is touching as a jaunty disguise for the emotional scars. Poignant in places, the feelings descend like mist upon gentle melodies, making this one well worth a listen, especially if you’re going through the same. Da Costa’s treatment of the experience of break-up demonstrates an emotional maturity that exceeds his tender years.
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