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CD REVIEW: Costner takes no-frills approach Steve Morley, Apr 24, 2009
Kevin Costner and Modern West: Untold Truths Label: Republic/Universal South Sound/Style: Scrappy and organic adult country-rock
By Steve Morley United Methodist News Service
In the film Dances with Wolves, actor-director Kevin Costner portrays Lieutenant John Dunbar, a white man who for all practical purposes becomes an Indian.
Some would suggest that the off-screen transformation of Mr. Costner the movie star to Mr. Costner the frontman for a rock band is just as unlikely. As the record shows with marquee names ranging from William Shatner to Russell Crowe, the quickest way to get no respect is to parlay a film career into a musical sideline.
Nonetheless, Mr. Costner’s long-dormant musical urges and a desire to interact with an audience—a privilege the silver screen doesn’t afford—prompted him to step out as lead vocalist on Untold Truths, his debut recording with his band, Modern West. While a more charismatic singer might have stirred the album to more vibrant life, Mr. Costner sings effectively and without pretense.
Producer, primary songwriter and longtime Mr. Costner cohort John Coinman drives the disc with a gritty, guitar-dominated sound recalling the heartland rock of John Mellencamp and Tom Petty. If Mr. Costner and company don’t exactly give them a run for their money, neither do they embarrass themselves.
Many tracks have a cinematic flavor, with Mr. Costner role-playing middle-aged, middle-class joes trying to make sense of a changing American landscape and the contents of their often jumbled lives. On “Hey Man What About You,” a restless truth-seeker can’t resist looking around to see whether anyone else is asking the same questions he is.
In “90 Miles an Hour,” a man chases a new beginning by putting distance between himself and his past, while a more comical scenario in “Backyard” finds a would-be race driver fantasizing about his getaway in one of the several out-of-commission vehicles he plans to someday resurrect.
The theme of escape again takes on wry humor on “Gotta Get Away,” a well-aimed attack at Madison Avenue’s nonstop stalking of consumers at the expense of simple contentment.
The camera moves in closer to create more dramatic effect on “5 Minutes from America,” which revisits the repercussions of Hurricane Katrina. The track conveys the acute frustration felt by evacuees and carries resonance for all Americans displaced by the shaking of the country’s financial foundations.
By contrast, the tale told in “Leland, Iowa” focuses on folks who remain in their communities despite, and perhaps because of, hard times. On the positive side, Mr. Costner offers faith as a response to crisis on “The Sun Will Rise Again.”
Mr. Costner could have made a throwaway album that capitalized on his fame, with guest stars galore and Nashville-tailored material. Untold Truths holds no stunning revelations, but its no-frills, middle-age-appropriate country-rock is commendable for its refusal to tell any lies.
Many tracks have a cinematic flavor, with Mr. Costner role-playing middle-aged, middle-class joes trying to make sense of a changing American landscape and the contents of their often jumbled lives. On “Hey Man What About You,” a restless truth-seeker can’t resist looking around to see whether anyone else is asking the same questions he is. 
