Elbow
Leaders of the Free World
Play Leaders of the Free World
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AMG Review of Leaders of the Free World
MacKenzie Wilson
All Music GuideWhen Doves headed to the studio for the recording of their third album, 2005's Some Cities, they returned home to Manchester. With that kind of scenic inspiration and emotional attachment, Some Cities resulted in Doves' best of their career at that moment. It is mere coincidence that their musical mates, Elbow, have done the same for their third album, Leaders of the Free World. Such a coincidence is a bit comforting in the respect that Elbow do not stray from what they have previously done. Despite being cast as a gloomy bunch on their first two albums -- 2001's Asleep in the Back and 2004's Cast of Thousands -- Elbow trudge on as an emotional band. Singer/songwriter Guy Garvey doesn't wallow in failed relationships as much as he enjoys being cynical and playful about the world around him. Sure, Elbow's more melodic, pensive moments such as "The Stops" and "The Everthere" are classic heartbreakers, with piano-driven melodies lush in melancholic acoustic guitars and Garvey's somber disposition. Leaders of the Free World really comes to life when Elbow give in, allowing these songs to grow into something glorious. Album opener "Station Approach" and "Forget Myself" are brilliant examples of this. "Forget Myself" metaphorically points fingers at a media-obsessed culture that is equally blasé about its own issues. Garvey throws his hands in the air, sighing to himself to "look for a plot where I can bury my broken heart." The album's title track also criticizes a very questionable political system, demanding, "I need to see the Commander in Chief and remind what was passed on to me" as a storm of electric guitars mirrors an anxious, waxing delivery by the band itself -- "Passing the gun from father to feckless son, we're climbing a landslide where only the good die young." Elbow are a great band regardless of what it takes for them to find their footing. Leaders of the Free World is a bit more ock & roll than not, with guts and heart, because Elbow have finally embraced their powerful, surrounding space this time out.
Elbow
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Leaders of the Free World..Elbow is an alternative rock band that emerged from the late 1990s music scene in Manchester, England.Acclaimed for their innovative sound and candid, evocative lyrics, Elbow has received vast critical acclaim and been endorsed by major artists Blur, R.E.M. and U2. The Velvet Underground's co-founder John Cale cited Elbow's "Switching Off" as one of the greatest songs...
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Go Ahead & *_+ELBOW+_* Me... PLEASE ??
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YUP... another hit for me please, just can't get enough of this band: "+*ELBOW*+":http://www.elbow.co.uk/index.aspSaw them at last year's Electric Picnic & loved them - then promptly forgot them - only excuse I have is all the other bands there that I managed to remember... many a Bulmers & quite a lot of SoCo shots passed through these lips ya know. _So..._ gots my pod *ashufflin along* & son...
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Elbow
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Leaders of the Free World..Elbow is an alternative rock band that emerged from the late 1990s music scene in Manchester, England.Acclaimed for their innovative sound and candid, evocative lyrics, Elbow has received vast critical acclaim and been endorsed by major artists Blur, R.E.M. and U2. The Velvet Underground's co-founder John Cale cited Elbow's "Switching Off" as one of the greatest songs...
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You Mean Everything To Me Tonight
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another great song from the band, Elbow, have a listen?
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Left a Hole in My Heart..
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Well, give that girl my very bestThough it never made the gradeIf it seems that it's just not enough to loveThen love lie downAnd would you tell herNot to talk as if I diedThough a tiny part just didAnd would you tell herI'm from a long line of survivorsAnd I'll be swinging with the kidsKeep your sympathyDon't need the healing to startYou've goneGone and made a beautiful hole in my heartIn the ...
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 "Leaders of the Free World")
