Review of The Delivery Man
Heat, 2004-09-25
- Boyd Hilton
ELVIS COSTELLO AND
THE IMPOSTERS
The Delivery Man (LOST HGHWAY)
IN A NUTSHELL:
Britain’s greatest living singer/songwriter is now 50 years old and this is his 21st studio album. He’s made records with a string quartet, a full orchestra and easy listening legend Burt Bacharach. But can he still knock out a classic rock song?
WHAT’S IT LIKE? Oozing with the feel of a smokey bar in the Deep South, this is a superbly cinematic and atmospheric album. Many of the tunes have a whiff of country or blues, yet in the end it’s a classic Costello rock record. Highlights include the brilliant rant Bedlam and three gorgeous duets with country legend Emmylou Harris.
HOW MANY GOOD TRACKS? Eleven, out of 12.
BEST TRACK: The deliciously dark and epic title track is an immediate classic.
WORST TRACK: The rather wearisome blues of Needle Time.
VERDICT: He may be an old geezer but on this spunky form Elvis sounds every bit as raw, fresh and inspired as youngsters like The White Stripes and The Libertines.
**** BOYD HILTON