The artwork says it all. Chrissy Costanza’s debut EP is stamped with the title ‘VII’. Her photograph is blurred in such a way, she appears to have angel wings, an image that asks if you died, how would you see yourself? If you looked back on your life, what would you see? Or, more importantly, if you’d spent thirteen years as vocalist for Against The Current, could you start a solo career? Chrissy Costanza’s first solo EP dares to ask these questions. You might expect it to answer in a way that’s different, experimental, or in a clear, personal statement, so it comes as surprise then that ‘VII’ sounds almost exactly like an Against The Current record. Luckily, it’s a particularly good Against The Current record.
Despite what is hinted by the visual aesthetic, Costanza is in no hurry to stretch her wings. This is a record that exists in her comfort zone, similar to Lacey Strum’s ‘Life Screams’; literally doing what she’s good at in a different context. The seven songs have a bubbly pop-rock energy, similar to her work in Against The Current or bands like Yours Truly or PVRIS. Befitting someone whose career began in a covers band, the songs feel effortless and favour huge choruses especially ‘But What If I Fly’ and ‘7 Minutes In Hell’ which punch you from one direction, then catch you with a left-hook from another, giving them a rough, excitable energy. This is mirrored by the angry outburst during the breakdown on ‘Pick Your Poison’ or the opening track’s coarse production.
If you’re of a certain age, the accompanying artwork and videos might remind you of Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. This is deliberate. The film is literally the inspiration behind the EP’s aesthetic and the lyrics to ‘If Looks Could Kill’. Like many of the songs here, it begins with a soft synth soundscape that quickly shifts into more familiar pop-punk territory. In fact almost all the songs have a comical haste to reach a pop-punk chorus, but it’s a feature, not a problem, especially as it’s Costanza’s greatest strength. This habit makes the gentle electronic pulses under ‘You’d Be Right’ feel like something different, something new. It’s too confident and consistent to be an experiment but hints at the future and adds a fresh flavour to proceedings. Ironically, it’s followed by ‘Some Like It Hot’ which is so back-to-basics pop-punk that it feels like she’s fleeing for cover after testing the water, but luckily it’s also a great song.
The mournful ‘I Tried To Act Your Age’ is relatively stripped and straightforward, and the intimacy and honesty on display could be poetic diary extracts. Of course, it can’t help but transform into a power ballad toward the climax but the careful wordplay and use of imagery are open to interpretation, meaning that it’s a great place to leave this first chapter. Chrissy Costanza doesn’t reinvent herself on ‘VII’ but the songs are so impressive that hardly matters.
IAN KENWORTHY