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Realizing that quality is, after all, more important than quantity, Elvis Costello has scored another victory with his latest album, Trust.
Last year's Get Happy!! contained an amazing 20 songs on one record, many of which were seemingly rushed through. All of Trust's 14 tunes are paced perfectly, and expertly performed by The Attractions, the tightest band in rock 'n' roll. Steve Nieve's extensive use of the acoustic piano is a pleasant surprise. His lone piano playing backing Costello on "Shot With His Own Gun" heightens the drama of the song.
As usual, Costello's lyrics are compelling and full of clever turns and phrases. In "Big Sister's Clothes," he declares, "she's got eyes like saucers / oh, you think she's a dish." But in "White Knuckles," Costello is brutally frank about a battered wife; "White knuckles on black and blue skin / he didn't mean to hit her, but she kept laughing / White knuckles sweating on the headboard / Never found out what the kissing was for."
At several points during the album, the listener almost gets sense of deja vu. "Watch Your Step" sounds vaguely like "Secondary Modern," while "Different Finger" has the same sort of pseudo-country beat of "Stranger In The House."
The stark arrangement of "Shot With His Own Gun" resembles Live at the Hollywood High's "Accidents Will Happen." But Costello has plenty of original song ideas left. Two years ago he told New Musical Express that he works on new songs daily.
Costello has proved himself to be a competent producer in the past. In addition to producing some of his own singles, he worked on the debut album by The Specials. But once again, "the Basher," Nick Lowe, handles the production chores here, as he has done on Costello's previous five albums. The sound on Trust is crisp and exciting.
Several albums ago. Costello proved himself to be the most important and innovative songwriter in rock today. He ends "Trust" with "Big Sisters Clothes," which he cryptically concludes by stating, "It's easier to say 'I love you' than 'yours sincerely,' I suppose / All little sisters like to try on big sisters clothes." Songwriting like this only whets the appetite for Costello's next album.
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