Review of The Delivery Man
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2004-09-21
- Bill White

ELVIS COSTELLO
The Delivery Man (Lost Highway)

Alternating the hard rock funk of "When I Was Cruel" with the country balladry of "King of America," Elvis Costello mines familiar territory with new tools. His finest moments come in harmony with Lucinda Williams (wild and pent up as an unbroken horse) and Emmylou Harris (her loose precision guiding Costello into an elegance he hasn't attained by himself).

Alone, he tends toward a vocal overstatement learned from American soul music. His singing, however, is not without surprises. The falsetto note on "Either Side of Town" is both unexpected and welcome, throwing a curve into the sentimental ballad.

The Imposters -- a trio of former Attractions Steve Nieve (keyboards) and Pete Thomas (drummer), with odd man out Davey Faragher (bass) -- offer distinctive arrangements for each tune.

Three of the selections are co-writes, including "The Judgment," with former wife Cait O'Riordan, suggesting some of it might have been on the shelf for a while.

(Bill White) GRADE: B+