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Good day, and welcome to WXYC's weekly search for the most tasteless, bland, boring music we can find. This week's search came up empty, but here are three great new discs. The 14th album out by Elvis Costello, Blood & Chocolate, demonstrates that he keeps getting better. The debut albums by Timbuk 3 and That Petrol Emotion contain healthy servings of fresh, upbeat music.
The King is back, and he has reunited with his court. After a short solo bout called King of America last year, Costello returns to his former bandmates, the Attractions, for Blood & Chocolate. The album is one of his best. Costello poses as singer songwriter Napoleon Dynamite and is rough, raunchy, angry, howling and in love.
The love of Costello's life is Pogue Cait O'Riordan, who is responsible for "parolis voco" (or vocals) on a pair of cuts. She also would appear to be the feature subject of at least a couple more songs. "I Want You" is a passionate love song in which he sings, "I don't think I can live without you and I know that I never will."
Love may have softened the old boy up a little bit, but he still has his wonderfully stinging wit on "Honey are You Straight or are You Blind?," a song that could easily fit on one of Costello's early albums.
My personal favorite is "Tokyo Storm Warning," a biting, bouncy tune. The chorus, complete with harmonies and a little psychedelic guitar asks, "What do we care if the world is a joke? Well give it a big kiss Well give i: a poke."
With help from Nick Lowe on production and "akustika guitaro," the King is back in top form. Long live the King.
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