I was always suspicious of Elvis Costello. Any musician who calls himself "Elvis" has to be at the very least unoriginal, pompous and a little strange. However, after listening to his latest album, Punch The Clock, all my suspicions were permanently terminated. Each of the thirteen tracks on this album is quite inventive. Punch The Clock is even more enjoyable than Costello's previous album, Imperial Bedroom, (a winner in its own right).
Punch The Clock opens with "Let Them All Talk," a lively, brassy tune that immediately sets the album's pace.
Next is "Every Day I Write the Book," which is probably the most commercial song on the album. A piano and synthesizer play while Costello sings, "Chapter one / we really didn't get along. Chapter two / I think I fell in love with you (etc.)": This song is predictable but still fun.
"Shipbuilding" and "Pills and Soap" are two really mellow songs that allow Costello to sing very gently and delicately, resulting in two superb ballads.
Other powerful songs with a bouncy beat are "Love Went Mad," "T.K.O.," and "Mouth Almighty." The most impressive song is "The Invisible Man," a short but memorable number complete with a peppy horn section, bouncy synthesizer, and intriguing lyrics. Costello begins with, "I was committed to life and then commuted through the outskirts with all the love in the world," but inevitably decides, "I want to get out while I still can / want to be like Harry Houdini; now I'm the invisible man."
Costello's lyrics are continually creative, and the music can only be described as sassy, brassy, and classy.
|