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Even if you aren't a fan of the music of Declan Patrick MacManus (aka Elvis Costello), there's still no denying that he's an artist who has never been afraid to test new waters. Since his humble punk rock/new wave beginnings, Costello has tried everything from writing for a string quartet (1993's The Juliet Letters) to collaborating with Burt Bacharach (1998's Painted From Memory). Along the way, Costello has written his share of memorable songs, including "Alison," "Pump It Up," "Watching the Detectives" and "Veronica."
Because he's been in an experimental mood the last few years, it's been awhile since fans have had a chance to hear Costello rock out like he used to with the Attractions. Happily, it seems that the wait is officially over.
When I Was Cruel, which features two thirds of the Attractions, rocks just as hard as Costello's last true rock album, 1994's Brutal Youth, while actually sounding better than that release.
The CD's first track, "45," gives you an immediate taste of what the album contains. That track, with its power pop rhythm and Costello's wailing vocals, uses the titular numeral to refer to gambling, records and his age group. Costello will be 50 in a couple of years, so those of us who were grooving to My Aim Is True when it came out in the '70s should be feeling a bit long in the tooth right about now. But then again, When I Was Cruel gives one hope. If Costello can still make rock that matters this late in his career, then perhaps music isn't doomed after all.
Diehard Costello fans will find plenty to love on this album, from rocking numbers such as "Dissolve" and "Daddy Can I Turn This?" to more experimental songs that include "15 Petals" and "When I Was Cruel No. 2." Not every single song hits the target, but out of the 15 songs on the CD, a dozen of them are easily worth repeated listens. In this day of the disposable pop star, that's the equivalent to four or five Creed albums.
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