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Last year's model, My Aim Is True, went back to early rock roots — American rock and roll of the '50's. This year Costello has moved into '60's British rock, centered around the organ rather than the guitar.
The lyrical content is much the same as on the previous album — social commentary. The best example is "Radio Radio," in which Costello makes it obvious that he doesn't care who's offended.
"I wanna bite the hand that feeds me
I wanna bite that hand so badly
I wanna make them wish they'd never seen me."
He probably attains his goal with this line: "Radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools trying to anesthetize the way that you feel.° A bit strong for most radio programmers.
Costello's lyrics are still filled with misogyny, but I don't feel that he can be called sexist — there's a good deal of misanthropy to offset it.
Undeniably, Costello is an important force in music — he is a new wave performer who is accepted in the United States; perhaps he will influence other performers to drop some of the slickness and adopt his intensity. It might infuse a little life into rock.
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