Elvis Costello - 'North'

Posted by: Andrew L. Weekes on 19 September 2003

Courtesy of Amazon a big bundle of CD's arrived today, including the new Elvis Costello album, 'North'.

The limited edition I bought also came with a free DVD, containing some videos of three songs, two from the album, and one that is the title track, North, although this doesn't appear on the CD.

It's another big change from the previous release 'When I was Cruel' - still a favourite of mine. WIWC was hailed as his first noisy album in years, but this is a total volte-face from that album.

EC talks about it being his most personal collection of songs so far, and the general theme is stark songs, where his voice is the primary instrument.

All of the songs were written at the piano apparently and this features in most of the songs, under the control of Steve Nieve or EC himself on a couple of tracks. Additional backing comes in the form of a simple bass and maybe a lone flugelhorn, or the delightfully subtle brushwork of Peter Erskine on many tracks and simple or occasionally more lush string arrangements, all scored by EC. It will come as no surprise to find the Brodsky Quartet listed there too.

I've found that EC's voice has matured a lot over the years, and if you like the direct style of songs like 'Baby Plays Around' from Spike, then I think you'll like this album. The songs are a great vehicle for the emotive side of EC's voice, and in most cases the backing is very subtle, bringing the feeling in the songs to the fore. It's a quiet, introspective album, but no worse for that, and many of ths songs carry themes that despite being very personal to the writer, will find parallels with the listener, I'm sure.

I'm giving it 4 Nick heads as I'm a big EC fan, I can't see myself listening to it as much as some earlier material, simply because it's a 'mood' album, so I think it will be a regular, but not so frequently, played album.



4 points - a grower, not a shower.
Posted on: 19 September 2003 by Andrew L. Weekes
For anyoone interested, I found some interviews here (click 'Digital Elvis') and there's some short snippets of the album tracks under 'Music'.

http://www.elviscostello.com

Andy.
Posted on: 29 September 2003 by woodface
I used to really like Costello until I bought the collaboration he did with Burt Bacharach ('Painted from Memory' I think?). This would have been a great album if someone else had done the vocals - it just didn't suit him at all and made me question whether he could actually sing at all? Since then I have not been tempted with any of his releases (WIWC, sounded like a middle aged man trying to get down with the kids).
Posted on: 29 September 2003 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by woodface:
I used to really like Costello until I bought the collaboration he did with Burt Bacharach ('Painted from Memory' I think?). This would have been a great album if someone else had done the vocals - it just didn't suit him at all and made me question whether he could actually sing at all?


I think the Bacharach-Costello songs are good-to-great, but agree that Elvis was not at all the right singer. Bacharach's melodies are insidiously hard, and are successfully performed only by someone who can make it seem effortless, like Dusty Springfield, Dionne Warwick, Cilla Black. Elvis sounded strained beyond his limits, and it's painful to hear.

I heard him and Steve Nieve on the David Letterman show singing one of the songs from North and unfortunately he was attempting a similar singing style, albeit without Bacharach's genius melody. I won't write off the new album out of hand based on hearing one tune performed on TV, but it didn't bode well, either.

Elvis is one of those singers (of which there are many) whose voice is very well suited to certain things (Alison, Accidents Will Happen, What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding?) but not to others.
Posted on: 01 October 2003 by woodface
Fred, you may find a few objections to Mrs Black being put in such exalted company mainly because many of us have experienced the shear horror of her TV career. I really cannot stand the women and her new album is truely awful from what I have heard.
Posted on: 01 October 2003 by Andrew L. Weekes
I tend to agree with Fred over the Bacharach album, it's one I bought and only listened to twice.

I can't say the same for this album though, to me the songs are well-matched for the more emotive side of his voice.

I personally think that his voice has matured a lot and works well with these more personal songs.

It's a shame the title track was left from the album, it's a great example that in my opinion works perfectly, just EC and an ancient, somewhat clunky and verging on out-of-tune, upright piano.

Andy.