|
Elvis Costello's early-1986 return to form, the folksy King of America, was the sound of a man clearing his throat after several years worth of forgettable, overproduced records. T Bone Burnett, his coproducer on that project, retaught Costello the value of simplicity and directness. Now, on a record that follows King of America by a mere nine months, Costello's reunion with his original producer, Nick Lowe, has led him to another rediscovery: the glorious art of the pop-song hook. Bashing out the 11 selections on Blood & Chocolate with his long-standing band, the Attractions (yet another reunion), the once and future Declan MacManus recaptures and then updates the skewed wall-of-sound pop of his 1978-79 heyday.
Judging from Blood & Chocolate, Costello's temporary vacation from the Attractions has done him good. Granted, he's still mining the same old themes — revenge, contempt, guilt, unrequited love — and still singing them in the strangled, choking tone that has become his trademark. Yet "I Hope You're Happy Now" and the entire second side (save for the drab "Poor Napoleon") reach out and grab your lapels unlike anything he has done since 1981's Trust. In "I Want You," a terrifying account of betrayal and longing, he merges the Attractions' choppy sound with Burnett's starkness. And anyone doubting Costello's continued relevance is directed to a trilogy on the second side: the majestic "Blue Chair," the more meditative "Battered Old Bird, and "Crimes of Paris," a charmer brightened by some harmony vocals from his wife, Cait O'Riordan.
Of course, Costello remains an erratic little bugger. Throughout Blood & Chocolate, the instruments blend into one another to create a rushed, underrehearsed jumble of guitars, drums, and organs; as a result, the Attractions often sound muffled. Also, skip the lyric sheet: You'll probably choke on opaque lines like "Japanese God-Jesus robots telling teenage fortunes" from the wordy, overlong single, "Tokyo Storm Warning." But how many other ten-year music-biz veterans can release two albums within a year and make them both count? At a time when even Lou Reed is pandering to the masses, it's oddly reassuring to know that Elvis Costello's aim is still true.
|
