Mondo Cozmo - Plastic Soul (2017)

Mondo Cozmo is the performing name of Philadelphia-bred, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Joshua Ostrander. Ostrander's career began as part of the alt-rock band Laguardia, who released a lone LP on Universal Republic in 2004. Along with friend and longtime bandmate Greg Lyons, he soon left to form Eastern Conference Champions, a vigorous indie rock trio who found success recording for Geffen in the late 2000s. In April 2016, Ostrander made his first bid for a solo career with the single "Hold on to Me," his first release under the Mondo Cozmo name. Boasting a bold, expansive sound that fused Arcade Fire's epic rock stylings with hip-hop elements and folky, Dylanesque earthiness, Ostrander dropped his second single, "Shine," in September of that year. Keeping up a steady diet of singles, Cozmo returned in 2017, first with "Automatic" and then with "Plastic Soul," the latter of which was the title track from his debut album released shortly thereafter. ~ Timothy Monger.