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PHILADELPHIA — Rumor has it that English punk-rock sensation Elvis Costello made a smashing area debut Wednesday night at the Hot Club, 21st and South streets.
Actually, this reviewer did manage to catch a glimpse of this new Elvis, through the crushing, over-packed mob wedged into the smokey club. All I know for sure is that he was decked out in a dark suit, white shirt and tie, looked gawkishly thin, had dark, swept-back hair and wore horn-rimmed glasses. So much for the visual Elvis Costello. (The number of backup players with him remain undetermined.)
At any rate the show (which was carried live over WMMR-FM) sounded very good. Costello, in the "new wave" style that is finally emerging, specializes in what can be best likened to basic, rudimentary rock.
There are some definite "Fifties" overtones to some of Costello's music. To begin with, all the tunes are short, compact pieces that set one pattern and stick to it. His debut album, My Aim Is True, has 13 songs on it, a rarity in contemporary rock. Elvis Presley's first only had 12. This brevity allows Costello to pump out a single thumping rhythm, as on "Waiting for The End Of The World," and keep the rock beat and metered lyric within a very forceful timespan.
Also, the music is very uncluttered and straight-forward, the overall sound hinging on set, uncomplicated instrumentation that gain vibrant energy through its simplicity.
Wednesday's more dynamic, raging songs, such as "Mystery Dance" (the encore) and "Less Than Zero," are among the best examples of new wave" vigor, heavily punched out by drums and bass and spurred on by Elvis' partly controlled, partly angry tenor.
This is not to imply that Costello is all energized, loud rock. Like most good, male rock singers around, Elvis parlays his slightly roughed up, urgent vocal style and solid fundamental rock rhythms, into a highly captivating total sound. This is very outstanding rock 'n' roll, vocally impelling, rhythmically primitive, but intelligently put together.
Costello has a knack for easily catching and adapting various sounds as was demonstrated by a fine reggae tune, "Watching The Detectives." Elvis Costello may not become the "new King," but he is certainly one of the best of the "New Wave."
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