Album Biography

Reverse-wave, off-tune guitar creates a subtle aura of brokenness, not unlike sounds from an aged garage-sale accordion. Thus begins “Convalescence” (meaning “recovery” or “healing”), for every healing must begin with the need for it.

Andrew Cos (formerly Debtor) brings yet another EP project to the table. As usual, he wrote, performed, engineered and produced everything for this EP.

“I love working in bands because of the community feel,” he says. “But this project allowed me to craft everything from start to finish so it feels like a personal diary of sorts, where almost every lyric, note, and rhythm come from a specific point in the process.

“Instead of a group of people working simultaneously, it’s the same person along a stretch of time, so each decision comes from a different point along that stretch, a slightly older or younger version of me.”

Like his last EP “Sand and Sentiments,” the “Convalescence EP” works from a concept—a “concept album” if you will—and the concept du jour stems from thoughts of restoration, of convalescence (ah, the title).

Listeners experience an out-loud thought progression, from the intro line “Welcome to our modern age” (“Starving for a Restart”) that decries present era issues where “progress” seems like “regress” in many ways, to final ponderings on a coming Day of ultimate restoration with the closing lyric “Convalescence is waiting,” (“Having Trouble”) a double entendre, characteristic of his work—multiple depths of meaning.

Musically, this EP takes an indie pop/rock approach, with touches of Ben Gibbard’s (of Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service fame) harmony-laden hooks, and a strong reference to John Mayer-esque bluesy-funk (“In Spite of Me”). To his credit, Andrew Cos has managed to make each of his projects stylistically diverse from anything he’s done earlier without losing his overall unique writing feel.

The “Convalescence EP” asks questions, like “Will it ever change?” (“Eleven Tries”), and “Do you believe that one day we’ll be set free from this?” (“Having Trouble.”) The overriding feel of the project is very hopeful, however, as we come to realize that every healing must begin with the need for it.

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