London Daily Mail, October 30, 2020

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London Daily Mail

UK & Ireland newspapers

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A jazzy gem from Elvis, king of the globetrotters


Adrian Thrills

Elvis Costello / Hey Clockface
Verdict: Perfectly timed
4 stars (out of 5) reviews4 stars (out of 5) reviews4 stars (out of 5) reviews4 stars (out of 5) reviews4 stars (out of 5) reviews

The musicians who have flourished in lockdown have been quick-witted and flexible. Jon Bon Jovi took stock of evolving events on his new album 2020.

Charli XCX poured the frustrations of quarantine into How I'm Feeling Now. Kate Rusby and Molly Tuttle delivered homespun cover collections.

Elvis Costello has also been fleet of foot, with his new album put together on the hoof in different locations.

Having flown to Helsinki in February, he then jetted straight to Paris just before lockdown for a weekend in the studio with local jazz luminaries.

Hey Clockface was completed remotely — "via electrical wire" — with a band based in New York.

The upshot is a record of stark contrasts, most notably between the saw-toothed Scandinavian songs and the softer Parisian tunes, and there are moments when the randomly scattered tracks give Hey Clockface a disjointed feel: the edgy "Hetty O'Hara Confidential," recorded in Finland, is sandwiched between two picture-perfect piano ballads from the banks of the Seine.

But Costello, 66, remains a master songwriter. This album, co-produced with Argentinian studio whizz Sebastian Krys, is less polished than 2018's lush Look Now, but it reiterates the scope of his talent.

"I wanted the record to be vivid, whether the songs demanded playing that was loud and jagged or intimate and beautiful," he says.

The three songs cut in Helsinki will appeal to fans raised on This Year's Model, Costello's 1978 LP that channelled the energy of punk.

As well as "Hetty O'Hara Confidential" — the tale of an old-school Fleet Street gossip columnist whose star is on the wane — his three days in Finland yielded "No Flag" and "We Are All Cowards Now," both dark and menacing.

With Elvis playing guitar, bass, drums and Hammond organ in the spirit of Paul McCartney's two celebrated solo albums, the Helsinki songs are punctuated with distorted chords, sci-fi sound effects and wry humour: "At least the Emperor Nero had an ear for music," goes a line on "We Are All Cowards Now."

The nine Parisian songs, made with an ensemble dubbed Le Quintette Saint Germain, are alternately playful and tinged with regret.

The title track, about picking an argument with time, opens with Mickaël Gasche's lively trumpet and leans heavily on the Fats Waller standard "How Can You Face Me?"

The jaunty "I Can't Say Her Name" wouldn't be out of place on a Randy Newman album… or even one by Costello's wife, jazz singer Diana Krall.

The poignancy comes on a string of chamber-pop ballads, with pianist Steve Nieve augmented by clarinet and cello on "The Whirlwind" and the tenderly sung "Byline."

Further twists arrive in "Revolution #49"'s Arabic instrumentation and Renaud-Gabriel Pion's flute, sax and cor anglais.

The two New York songs fall between the Finnish and French extremes to provide a fuller picture.

Finished online with trumpeter Michael Leonhart and others, the funky "Newspaper Pane" and spoken-word poem "Radio Is Everything" are atmospheric and contemporary.

"They say I have a perfect face for radio", says Costello on the latter. The singer — who toyed with writing "Helsinki-Paris-New York" on the album sleeve, as if it were a cosmetics brand or advertising agency — also retains the knack of writing perfect songs that pack an emotional punch, regardless of their city of origin.


Tags: Hey ClockfaceHetty O'Hara ConfidentialSebastian KrysLook NowThis Year's ModelNo FlagWe Are All Cowards NowPaul McCartneyLe Quintette Saint GermainMickaël GascheFats WallerHow Can You Face Me?I Can't Say Her NameRandy NewmanDiana KrallSteve NieveThe WhirlwindBylineRevolution #49Renaud-Gabriel PionMichael LeonhartNewspaper PaneRadio Is EverythingConcord RecordsHelsinkiParisNew York

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Daily Mail, October 30, 2020


Adrian Thrills reviews Hey Clockface.

Images

2020-10-30 London Daily Mail photo 01 tp.jpg
Photos by Tracey Paddison.

2020-10-30 London Daily Mail photo 02 tp.jpg


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