Sincere but not too sincere, cute but not gorgeous, and smart enough to know to steal from the very best, former skateboard pro Matt Costa signed to surfer Jack Johnson's label on the strengths of some very workman-like pop songs and a smooth, appealing voice. Goldilockses of the world are bound to find Costa's unassuming songs just right--and if his work fails to find its way onto the soundtracks of all the hottest television shows, there is little justice in the world. Costa may croon that "These are the songs that I sing/To make the day better," but these really aren't songs so much as they're rock & roll equations. The dude combines the anglophilic sonority of Belle & Sebastian and Donovan with a taste of Elliott Smith's gorgeous downer vibe, heaping doses of the Beatles thrown in throughout. It's pleasantly chiming enough stuff to be sure: it'll just be far more interesting to see what happens once Costa has worked his way through his influences. --Mike McGonigal