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King of America is a return to form for Elvis Costello, his best album in three or four years.
But this very countrified version of the chameleon-like Costello isn't one of his two or three greatest records.
Produced by T Bone Burnett, King of America has a stripped-down, almost barren sound. Costello's backing band, the Attractions, and their Brit-pop sound have been ejected in favor of American musical veterans, most of whom played with the real Elvis, including the great guitarist James Burton.
The spare sound leaves Costello's voice exposed and it becomes the central force of the record. When he's on, the songs hit with the power we've come to expect. But sometimes things just don't seem right, giving those songs a mushy, uncertain feel.
Like always, Costello has written some fine tunes, (he's now crediting them to Declan MacManus, his real name). "Brilliant Mistake," from which the album's title is drawn, is filled with his rather downcast images of America and life as is "American Without Tears." "Indoor Fireworks," a song Nick Lowe recorded on his Rose of England lp, is a song-long analogy of what sparks a relationship.
The record's centerpiece, however, is a cover of the Animals' classic "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" which Costello turns into a naked pleading, a final cry.
The songs that don't hit so well, like "Eisenhower Blues," an obvious throwaway, and "The Big Light," in which Costello can't keep pace with Burton's guitar, detract from the album's overall impact, although none are terrible clinkers.
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