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Elvis Costello rekindles his passion for country-western music on King of America (Columbia).
Liverpool-born Costello, once considered a standard of the post-punk "new wave," is no neophyte to the country sound. His earliest performances were in London's country-western pubs, and he released a collection of country-western cover songs in 1981.
The 15-song King of America, co-produced by Costello and T Bone Burnett, has a decidedly American flavor: string bass, brushes and drums, dobro and Hammond organ. A couple of tunes have a Bob Dylan feel, nicely substituting accordion for harmonica.
The numerous ballads are melodic and forlorn, spinning familiar Costello tales of abandonment and broken dreams.
But the blues seeps in as well. Costello rasps like Joe Cocker on his cover of the Animals' "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," and he lets out some primal screams on the more traditional "Eisenhower Blues," which features an electric guitar solo from Burnett.
Costello's wordplay is strong as ever, and his lyrical flair is well-accommodated by the mostly subdued musical accompaniment.
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