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For a lot of rock fans, the news that Elvis Costello was reuniting with his old band the Attractions was met with almost as much anticipation and dread as the reunion of George, Paul and Ringo. But after his last album, the ill-conceived string quartet collaboration The Juliet Letters, Brutal Youth, due in stores Tuesday, is a welcome return to the Elvis of old with a few welcome new wrinkles.
This is an older and wiser, but no less clever, Elvis. Lyrically, Brutal Youth tempers Costello's withering wit with a mellower sense of humanity. So while he sings in "This Is Hell," "My Favorite Things are playing again and again. But it's by Julie Andrews and not by John Coltrane," he does it with a gentler, more open voice.
But that's not too unusual; the old Elvis was always most sensitive about himself. "Kinder Murder" finds himself breaking new ground, telling of the romantic misadventures of a "stonewashed damsel," but unlike the misanthropy of "Alison," Costello is tougher on the brutal youths who use her.
The musical settings of the 15 songs are just as varied, ranging from avant-rock to folk to soulful sounds with a touch of classical ("Favourite Hour") and even a bit of the old new-wave. Much of the credit for the success of Brutal Youth goes to the Attractions, notably drummer Pete Thomas, whose reckless abandon drives the rocker "20% Amnesia" as easily as his tightly wrapped restraint simmers the tension in "Kinder Murder." To complete the reunion, bassist Nick Lowe, producer of such Costello classics as "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," is also on hand.
In all, Brutal Youth is the best sort of reunion, combining some of the best of the old with the recent growth and new maturity of its principals.
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