Review of When I Was Cruel
Sunday Times, 2002-04-14

 

Pop: New releases: Elvis Costello: When I Was Cruel

ELVIS COSTELLO
When I Was Cruel
Mercury 5868292

ONE HAS to admire Costello for using his celebrity to push back the stifling genre restrictions of the modern music industry. The problem is that the form he’s escaping from — small, guitar-led rock group — is the one he actually excels at. So we only get one album of Costello doing what he’s really good at each decade. When I Was Cruel is the latest blast of the ornery singer-songwriter Costello, backed by two Attractions and some new collaborators.

Unfortunately, his songwriting is a bit hit and miss. The hits include Dust 2, with its classic Costello soaring vocal run, the blistering Daddy Can I Turn This and the brooding Alibi — the man’s best vocal performance for years. The misses include Spooky Girlfriend, Episode of Blonde and Radio Silence (despite them all having perfect Costello titles). On balance, though, fans of the This Year’s Model model Costello should find more than enough to enjoy. Two stars