Sort of proud of this Elvis Costello review where I wrestle with whether the quite good work of one of my all-time heros is quite good enough…It’s up at PopMatters today.
Elvis Costello and the Imposters Momofuku (Lost Highway)
Elvis Costello, 30 years on since “Less than Zero”, sounds very much like Elvis Costello, abrasively intelligent, rhythmically unstoppable, harsh and soulful at the same time and, er, able to leap genres in a single bound. “American Gangster Time”, the standout among this disc’s rock songs, is a dark-toned triumph, its pessimistic imagery (the song opens with a pretty woman on her knees exchanging sex for drugs) hitched to exuberant rock riffs and a soaring chorus. Nieves’ Vox Continental alone would be enough to transport you back in time 30 years, trilling and squealing above the melody, even without the complex image-heavy lyrics that Costello spits and stutters. And yet, here’s a question: if you didn’t already long for exactly that sound, due to layers of personal history and three decades of affiliation with the Elvis Costello enterprise, would it have the same impact? Would “American Gangster Time” stop you cold the way that “Accidents Will Happen” or “Red Shoes” or “Watching the Detectives did all those years ago? It’s hard to say, but I’m leaning towards probably not.
More here: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/59051/elvis-costello-momofuku/
My Trusted MOGs
On the money, I'd say. Nice one.
My Trusted MOGs
Thanks Cody, I should give you a cut of my non-existent paycheck for letting me blather on about this on your last.fm page.
Oh wait, you've already got 20% of nothing, right?
My Trusted MOGs
This song is a keeper for this first-three-albums fan. Your PopMatters review is top-notch.