0158. Elvis Costello
Brutal Youth
So, Elvis is back on the list and this time it's with his back-to-basics album Brutal Youth where he got together with the Attractions on album for the first time in almost a decade.
The first thing that hits me is how little that's happened since their first outing eighteen years earlier. Sure, it's a bit more refined and not as DIY as the debut, but they've still got the sound.
This, however, doesn't mean that it's as enticing as the ones from back in the day. But it does sound just like what it is: a band that's gone from being young and angry to being middle-aged and having music as their day-job.
It's nothing wrong with it, it's just that it lacks some of the musical edge they used to have. And that also takes some of the edge off of Costello's lyrics.
It's an album that demands a series of listens to really get into it.
