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If you look at the chat box to the left, you will see a comment referring to "Painted From Memory" as the last good music made by Elvis Costello. I don't agree with that sentiment at all. Since 1998, the year of that Costello/Bacharach collaboration, Elvis has released "When I Was Cruel," a terrific combination of rock and roll and trip-hop, that works 75% of the time, "The River In Reverse," a wonderful and inspired tribute to New Orleans R&B with Allen Toussaint, "The Delivery Man," a collection of alt-country tunes and R&B-inspired songs, with help from Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams, that works 75% of the time, the criminally ignored, barely released "Momofuku," which found Elvis & friends, touching on all genres, including some balls out rock and roll and Beatle-esque pop that works 75% of the time, and an interesting collaboration with The Roots, "Wise Up Ghost," that admittedly isn't for everyone, but hardly a toss-off, with inspired mash-ups and experiments- an A for effort, for sure. Both T-Bone Burnett records, "Secret, Profane..." and National Ransom" had their moments, though I despise T-Bone as a producer and really think those records suffer from bad sound. That is a whole lotta music to dismiss, and many Costello fans did just that.
In a conversation last week regarding XTC's earlier work versus their later work, one friend offered this, "Artists grow and sometimes it is difficult for fans to grow with them." Maybe that is the case with fans of Elvis Costello who simply lost interest when Elvis found new avenues to explore.
I do agree with the rest of the comment. "Look Now" is indeed, "really, really great." I have never given up on Elvis Costello and what is found on his new release, really and truly, isn't much different than what can be found on the aforementioned records.
Songs like the opener "Under Lime" or "I Let The Sun Go Down," which is featured up top, could have easily fit right before or after "American Gangster Time" or "No Hiding Place" on "Momofuku," and as a few critics and Elvis himself has said, maybe even his masterpiece, "Imperial Bedroom," which was indeed, much different than all his records up to that point in 1982. As a matter of fact, "Look Now" feels like a "greatest vibe" collection, hitting on all the old Costello haunts, most obviously on the Burt Bacharach co-writes, but throughout. Costello himself refers to the new album as "This Year's Model 2," more having to do with where he is now, as opposed to the music found on the 1978 release.
A good number of the tunes found here have been around a while. I have live versions of both "Suspect My Tears" and the Carole King co-write, "Burnt Sugar is So Bitter," dating as far back as 1999. "Unwanted Number" was written for the 1996 film, "Grace of My Heart." But, "Look Now" does not sound like a Frankenstein monster. Even the deluxe edition tracks, which are a few years old at this point, do not sound like they belong somewhere else. "Look Now" might very well be the best record Elvis Costello has released since "Painted From Memory," but that's a lot different than saying it's the only good thing he's released since "Painted From Memory." In many ways, "Look Now" feels like Paul McCartney's "Chaos & Creation In The Backyard," mature records by brilliant artists who are bold enough to move forward, but smart enough not to abandon the music and fans that got them where are they are in the first place.
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