From The Elvis Costello Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
—
|
Elvis Costello
Brutal Youth
(Warner Bros.)
Michael Roberts
|
Of course you've read those interviews in which Mr. McManus has claimed that this reunion with his original band (the Attractions) and his original producer (Nick Lowe, here relegated to sideman status) was motivated by musical forces, not commercial ones. Still, there's no denying that his last two albums--the willfully inaccessible Mighty Like a Rose and the epic embarrassment The Juliet Letters--left him with all the marketability of, say, Sergeant Barry Sadler. This new recording will remedy the problem by appealing to Costello's core audience of aging new-wave graduates and pun-loving misanthropes--and it should, since his new songs are undeniably punchy and reassuring. Yet that's part of the problem: Tunes such as the single "13 Steps Lead Down," featuring an Elvis guitar solo that recalls "What's So Funny ('Bout Peace, Love and Understanding)," and "20% Amnesia" approximate the bite and bitterness that made Costello's early work so magnetic and individual, but without actually exhibiting any of these characteristics. Costello clearly is capable of self-mimicry of a very high order, but in spite of the clever lines and intricate pop craftsmanship on display throughout Brutal Youth, he can't disguise the fact that he simply isn't that angry anymore. I don't want to wish misery on you, sir, but you were a lot more interesting when you were unhappy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
External links
