The passing of time often seems universally perplexing. Is the actual possibility of travelling back in time even a thing or is it mostly something we imagine to make the world feel like a better place to be in? It now looks as if Elvis Costello and Allan Mayes offer an answer of sorts, they do so in musical terms, at least. Warmly, cheerfully inviting listeners and fans in to their 1972 world, conceived through a 2022 filter, the brand new recording project ‘The Resurrection Of Rust’ The Debut Recording of Their 1972 Band represents a unique opportunity to hear the two musicians play and sing “the record we would have cut when we were 18, if anyone had let us” as Elvis Costello trickily puts it.”
The six crisply recorded songs have a connection to 1972, representing moments taken from Rusty’s setlists – Costello’s first band – and the blend of original and cover material works. Without cheesy melody or instantly addictive hooks, what gradually is unveiled is joyous zest of the songs, the hand-picked track selection truly comes to life after a couple of listens.
Whether it’s the one take, live sound vibes, and bubbly energy of the record’s opener ‘Surrender To The Rhythm’ or the whisky and cigarette-tinged vocals of ‘I’m Ahead If I Can Quit While I’m Behind..’, a song by American singer songwriter Jim Ford, you quickly get a hint of the sonic variety of this record.
There is the fuzzy, but romantic vibe of ‘Don’t Lose Your Grip On Love’, and ‘Warm House (And An Hour Of Joy)’, which in some ways provides the closest match to Costello’s current sound, if that sentence makes remote sense in this time machine driven journey fix. Another noteworthy moment includes ‘Everybody Knows This is Nowhere’ and ‘Dance Dance Dance’, melded into one song of intensity, based on two of Neil Young songs.
Uplifting, invigorating ‘The Resurrection Of Rust’ offers a warm boost down memory lane in one way, while the modern times filter gives the record intricacy, and it is one to check out.
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