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Elvis Costello's previous record, Almost Blue, was a strong country western-influenced disc. Coming on the heels of several albums heavily punctuated with lean new-wave sounds, it left many of his older fans a trifle confused. Well, wait until they hear this effort. Costello recently said that someday he would like to write a song that Frank Sinatra could record. The new record is a big step in that direction. Although there is a dose of the kind of up-tempo material people have come to expect from him, most of the songs here are sure-footed pop. That means horns and string sections, lush arrangements, and ballads with big, fat melodies.
It works in a funny sort of way, but a person can play the album a batch of times and still have difficulty getting a handle on it. This marks a new progression in Costello's career as a tunesmith, but people who are used to his new-wave angst are not going to be prepared to accept Costello the crooner without having some misgivings.
It's obviously the direction he wishes to pursue, however, and if someone approaches the record without any preconceptions, it can be a pleasing recording. I still find it unsettling a bit, because I'm not exactly sure what to make of it. But Costello's new album is one that people are either going to adore or loathe — there will be few mixed feelings about it.
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