Review of North
USA Today, 2003-09-22
- Gardner

 

Elvis Costello, North (* * * ½)

Costello may have been cast as a child of punk early in his career, but as a writer, he has always owed a greater debt to Lennon & McCartney and Rodgers & Hart than Lou Reed or the Sex Pistols. This latest effort emphasizes that point, spotlighting the meticulous songcraft that has provided the foundation for all of Costello's diverse projects through the years. The spare, moody tracks here may not offer the bracing punch of last year's more rhythmically charged When I Was Cruel. But the delicately haunting melodies and lyrics driving tunes such as Still, Can You Be True? and I'm in the Mood Again— and Costello's characteristically tasteful, intuitive singing — blend wit and feeling as few can. —Gardner