SEAN COSTELLO Source: Hittin' The Note Date: 01/2008 Writer: Rob Johnson

When Sean Costello first hit the blues scene in the 90s he was a mere teenager, and he was often looked at as a prodigy with lots of “potential.”  With his latest CD We Can Get Together, Costello has finally grown into that potential.

On this new disc, his first for West Coast blues label Delta Groove, Sean’s music walks the line between gritty Chicago blues and Stax-style testifying.  Tunes like “Going Home” even add a touch of gospel flavor.  “I’ve got a brand new angle on the same old game,” he growls on “Same Old Game,” and he just might.

Costello is an incredibly soulful vocalist, and on songs like “Told Me A Lie” and “Have You No Shame” he mines the richest songwriting vein in the blues.  Sean may not be the first bluesman to sing about a woman who has broken his heart, but the emotion in his voice draws you in and won’t let you go.

Costello’s guitar is rarely flashy, but on “Anytime You Want” he rips off icy blues licks that cut like Albert King.  Then he can turn around and play so sweetly on a song like “Little Birds,” showing an impressive range.

In the end, it’s the torch song soul of tunes like “Can’t Let Go” that really let Costello’s sweet yet gritty voice shine the brightest.  “I love you still/Even against my will” he sings, sounding like a true prisoner of love.  Feeling bad never sounded so good.