Review of When I Was Cruel
Wired, 2002-05-01
- Beth Johnson

 

Fans may have grown impatient with Costello's far-flung musical forays, but crooning with Burt Bacharach and playing classical with Anne Sofie von Otter clearly recharged him. These 15 vivid songs drip with the kind of caustic lyrics and melodies that made Costello a star. Cruel is chock-full of rowdy horns and provocative wordplay. "Alibi" - a musical cousin to the classic "Allison" - nails the emotional excuses we hide behind ("Sorry but your mommy doesn't love you, Alibi"). And the moody title tune has a man looking back on his callous youth. Who else could make a lyric like "humdrum conundrum" sound so beautiful? -Beth Johnson