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Elvis Costello's very nature lends itself well to change; it seems that each of his records strives for a different sound. The only strands of continuity are his voice and songs; Costello's arrangements, genre and musical style change drastically from album to album. Until now, that is. Goodbye Cruel World seems very much like a reprise of his last album, and, although it's slightly better, it may be E.C. is in a rut. His songs appear more formulated than inspired, his pseudo-R&B more contrived than enthused. He even resorts to a would-be duet with Daryl Hall (of you-know-who & Oates), but his guest star is barely audible.
This is not to denigrate Costello's innate talent, but he is currently in what is generally known as a "bad phase." The albums he offers sound more like product and less like art, and the reason for this may be that Elvis has yet to be a viable force in the American record market. It's almost time for him to have a couple of hits (just one would be nice) or else turn into last year's news. Even though Costello's closest counterpart, Bob Dylan, does not sell mega-units, he had a few hits in the mid-'60s that established him as more than just another great songwriter. Elvis is thought of by the masses of record buyers as (a) that little punk, (b) the funny-looking Buddy Holly imitator who writes songs for Linda Ronstadt, or (c) the snotty little Englishman who had the bad taste to make racist remarks about Ray Charles.
Given records like this, and his Ray Charles remarks, Elvis may be getting exactly what he deserves. You can't expect people with intelligence and memories to forgive everything. Or maybe he should make a rock 'n' roll record.
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