SoundBytes: Cos Presents “The Greatest Gift”
Cos is the stage name of Mark W. Costoso, a native New Yorker and talented multi-instrumentalist. With a diverse understanding of musical instruments and digital production, Cos is a one man show with a sound as big as the progressive acts he loves. Fans of Yes or Todd Rundgren as in for a serious treat, as Cos’s latest release – Grace – feels the void of new music from such prog-rock bands of this ilk.
The opening track, “The Greatest Gift” has Genesis meets Chicago sound that’s extremely smooth and polished. And, while this isn’t a sound that this particular reviewer seeks out or listens to all that regularly, the track feels comforting in its production quality and the beautiful piano melodies. With a smooth sound that’s easily digestible, it’s a hard sound not to take some pleasure in. Yet even in its clean and wholly inoffensive tones, it still makes a point to highlight and introduce the listener to a level of musicianship akin to the grrat in the progressive genre. The great guitar solo on the song immediately from track 1 lets the listener know that Cos has chops far beyond radio soft rock. It’s clear from the start that fans of everything from prog-rock legends like Styx and Rush to adult contemporary radio are likely to find an album they can appreciate.
You can grab Grace now on Cos’s Bandcamp.
