At a glance, it is clear that Costello wants to be more accessible. The backcover photograph is the cutest ever, and for the first time lyrics are enclosed. This is his most easily understood album and also his best, marking a new level of accomplishment in an already distinguished career. He is still no romantic (on "Little Savage" he sings of "making love tooth and nail"), but the voice is softer, and the music is quieter. Always alert to the dangers of appearances, Costello seems anxious to clear up mistakes about his own identity. He remains a prodigious wordsmith who keeps the tropes coming fast and furious, but he wants to be known for more than his brainy, biting wit: in "Town Cryer" he urges, "Maybe you don't believe my heart is in the right place / Why don't you take a good look at my face?" Less cantankerous and more compassionate, Costello tempers mockery with affection. Although the sarcastic "The Long Honeymoon" sounds like a tango by a lounge act in Marseilles, the sentiment of French accordians is not wasted on Costello, and he makes them the perfect accompaniment for a sleazy domestic scene. This kind of adroitness is evident in every one of the 15 cuts, each bearing signs of Costello's genius. The Attractions provide unerringly expert and compatible backing throughout, and producer Geoff Emerick's touch is always deft and direct.
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