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Review of North
Elvis Costello - North, Deutsche GrammophonHaving reinstated his rock & roll credentials last year with When
I Was Cruel -- not to mention getting inducted into the Rock & Roll
Hall of Fame -- Elvis Costello characteristically makes a dramatic stylistic
turn on North. The album is filled with haunted, piano-centered ballads
and elegant string and horn arrangements that tease out subtleties in
the songs' already understated melodies. Costello's singing is quiet
and controlled, an intimate voice describing an emotional journey from
abandonment ("You Left Me in the Dark") to a renewed commitment
to love ("Let Me Tell You About Her"). North exudes a consistent,
subdued beauty that, at times, is almost too delicate to make a true
impression. Despite its intelligence and musical sophistication, the
album floats by on a breeze so light that it risks escaping notice;
the songs disappear into the air before the listener can discover a
way to inhabit them. There's an undeniable pleasure in that effort to
grasp this music and its meanings before they fade, but at times you
can't help wishing they were less evanescent, more substantial. (ANTHONY
DECURTIS) |
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home - bibliography
- biography - clips
- concert reviews - discography
- faq - gigography
- guestbook info services - links - lyrics/chords - pictures - recent - shop - trading - upcoming - what's new |