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Change is afoot for Elvis Costello, one of the most enduring songwriters left from the 1977 British punk-new wave explosion. He now wants to be known by his real name, Declan MacManus. On King of America, he uses his longtime band, the Attractions, on only one song. In interviews, he's slamming his old work and saying he's bored with pop music.
Unfortunately, this first recorded effort of his new direction falls below the standards he's set during the past nine years. Using a variety of musicians — including Elvis Presley's former backup trio, members of Daryl Hall & John Oates' band and noted session men like Mitchell Froom and Jim Keltner, not to mention producer T Bone Burnett — Costello has come up with a whopping 15 tunes that mostly fall short in musical terms and are lyrically inconsistent.
For a guy who's bored with pop, he sure doesn't give fans many alternatives; the numerous country-oriented songs on this album ("Lovable," "Our Little Angel," "Glitter Gulch," "Indoor Fireworks," "The Big Light," "American Without Tears") are unconvincing. Stark, slower pieces like "Sleep of the Just" and "I'll Wear it Proudly" are downright tedious, and the melodramatic "Little Palaces," with its cheesy mandolin line, is a winner only if Costello intended it to be a parody.
There are moments of interest, however; the lyrically rich "Brilliant Mistake;" "Suit of Lights," the only song featuring the Attractions; and covers of the Animals' "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood;" and J.B. Lenoir's "Eisenhower Blues." That, however, is a disappointing showing for an artist who's turned out a body of work that's been consistently strong over the years.
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