Punch The Clock Reviews

All-Music Guide (Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

Perhaps frustrated by the lack of commercial success Imperial Bedroom encountered, Elvis Costello enlisted British hitmakers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley to produce its followup, Punch The Clock. The difference between the two records is immediately noticeable. Punch The Clock has a slick, glossy surface, complete with layered synthesizers, horns, studio effects and the backup vocals of Afrodisiac. The approach isn't necessarily a misguided one, since Costello is as much a pop musician as he is a singer/songwriter and many of the best moments on the record -- Everyday I Write The Book, Let Them All Talk -- work well as shiny pop singles. However, the problem with Punch The Clock is that Costello is entering a fallow songwriting period; it is his least consistent of original songs to date. The best moments, the anti-war ballad Shipbuilding and the eerie pseudo-rap Pills And Soap, are as articulate and effective as any of his past work, but frequently Costello falls short of meeting his standards, particularly when he's trying to write a song in the style of his older songs. Nevertheless, the sheen of the Langer & Winstanley production makes Punch The Clock a pleasurable listen. Costello's uneven writing means that only portions of the album are memorable.