Matt Costa has released “Jet Black Lake,” the second single off his upcoming album, Yellow Coat, set to drop on September 11. The accompanying music video for “Jack Black Lake,” directed and produced by Minh Pham, was released alongside the single.
“‘Jet Black Lake’ is a song flying over memories,” Costa said in a statement. “Sometimes memories can be obstacles that obstruct and define our perception of feelings, eventually emerging from the night.”
“Jet Black Lake” lends a slow and sweet melody, Costa’s ringing voice clear over quiet violins and harmonized voices in the background. The slow tempo of the song is joined by a saxophone, Costa singing “You never spoke of leaving/One day you just flew.” The swaying instrumentals highlight the nostalgia of love, as he describes being left behind, recalling when they first met and the realization they weren’t coming back.
Broken into nine squares, a video focused on Costa’s lips as he sings the lyrics move throughout the screen, as plates are broken with a hammer, milk is poured into a glass while a woman combs through her long black hair. Roses are held up towards the screen while lines from a book pan over various squares, letters caught on fire as tears fall down a woman’s brown eye. Red-painted nails set a music meter as legs coated in black tights kick in the air before crushing an egg underfoot.
Costa explained in a statement that he pulled inspiration for Yellow Coat from Van Gogh’s work, Dear Theo and John Steinbeck’s A Life in Letters. Costa writes the album about a relationship which ended after nearly a decade.
“My songs have always been something that transcends a feeling and into something that is healing,” Costa said in a statement. “I hope listeners and fans find these songs as personal and honest as they are to me.”
The album’s first single, “Avenal,” was released earlier last month. Yellow Coat will be Costa’s second LP release and follow up to 2018’s Santa Rosa Fangs. His first album included singles “I Remember It Well” and “I Remember It Well #2.”