Elvis Costello is certainly one of the strangest rock acts to come around in quite a while. Resplendent in his circa '57 garb, he resembles a run-down Buddy Holly, minus the toothy smile of course. Despite his ungainly appearance, Costello belts out his sneering lyrics with the authority of a Springsteen or a Dylan.
My Aim Is True, Costello's first work, is a collection of short, early '60s style rock-and-roll, tailor-made for the current decade. Costello maintains a blunt, cynical tone through 12 of the LP's 13 cuts. With the subtlety of a speeding 18-wheeler, he scoffs at the American middle class mentality.
The album's one exception is "Alison," a slow, sincere love song which fits in only because it is delivered with the same conviction as the balance of Costello's work.
Particularly vicious assaults on the LP include "Welcome to the Working Week," "Sneaky Feelings" and "Less Than Zero." The jeering tone of these lyrics perfectly suits the accompanying taunting arrangement of each.
Lacking the mesmerizing quality of Dylan, Costello does have difficulty maintaining credibility through all 13 cuts. This unlikely hero does make his point, however.
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