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Elvis Costello is his name, and don't let the first name fool you. No, he's not another imitator of the late swivel-hipped star.
He's got his own style and a record called My Aim Is True, which is the best rock record of this year.
This record is an absolutely fantastic collection which shows Costello's uncanny knack for writing catchy tunes and biting lyrics which leave you singing them to yourself over and over when you aren't near your stereo to play them over and over.
Every song is good. And the lyrics — they sometimes go straight to your heart and sometimes they send a chill down your spine.
His guitar stylings are magnificent. There is almost an innocence to the way he plays that old Fender electric jazz.
Among the stunning list of tunes, there stands out two. "Alison" is a most touching, sincere, nostalgic love ballad which made an excellent choice for a single release.
The other is "Watching the Detectives," an unusually graphic representation of a typical detective scene. The feminine suspect very casually watches the detectives ("He's so cute.. ") and nonchalantly, "She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake" looking for the body of the victim.
The real catch to this song is the best reggae music heard this side of Jamaica, all the way from the "James Bond" guitar sound to the tasty Farfisa organ interjections.
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