Manchester quintet Elbow return with Cast Of Thousands, the follow up to 2001’s critically acclaimed Asleep In The Back.
Comparison being the most expedient form of description,
Elbow is frequently lumped into either the Radiohead/Coldplay camp of new Brit moodiness or Pink Floyd pop Prog, though to do this is easy but unfair to the group. Elbow’s uniqueness stems from their ability to project a sense of vulnerability without sounding pretentious or wimpified, along with a lyrical sensibility that is emotional without the paranoia of Radiohead or Floyd.
According to vocalist Guy Garvey , “The second album ended up being about itself, about how it was to write it” (from an interview with Shirin Shoai), after the well publicized loss of a notebook containing nine months worth thoughts and raw materials (referenced briefly in Snooks “I lost my words, it doesn’t hurt”).
Whether that is responsible for the lighter lyrical tone on this new album is unknown (at least Garvey isn’t telling) but compared to the first record, where love as subject proper isn’t mentioned, the words of Cast of Thousands are concerned with affairs of the heart enough to make him appear, by comparison, the shoegazing romantic, but certainly with enough cynicism to never appear precious or naïve, as on the album’s opener ‘Ribcage’ or ‘I’ve got your number’.
As on their major label debut, there are slices of moody pop perfection throughout this record, like ‘Fallen Angel,’ and it’s infectious chorus of“choose your favorite shoes and keep your blues on cruise control” or ‘Switching Off’, with some of the more expressionist poetry on the collection.
(‘all the clocks give in
and the traffic fades,
and the insects like a neon choir
the instant fizz’)
Musically, the album reaches an almost Motown level of subtlety in being able to sustain a dark evocative mood throughout that belies how detailed the production actually is.Strings, brass and choir meld seamlessly into the overall tapestry without ever appearing momentous or overbearing.
And unlike the bands they’re often compared to, Elbow’s music isn’t
propelled by the electric guitar though when guitarist Mark Potter is driving a track like ‘I’ve got your number’ it’s instantly affecting.
At the center of every track, well-produced and performed though they are, is Garvey, who’s blessed with one of those haunting pop voices in the spirit of Peter Gabriel (early Pete, without the sense of self-importance) and Colin Blunstone.
If there’s a band that currently shares a professional affinity with elbow it’s probably Starsailor.
Both bands released debuts that ended up on lots of best-of lists back at the beginning of the century, and now must navigate through uncertain critical and popular territory. For each, the buzz has quieted, familiarity has replaced novelty. and an intense touring schedule to support their sophomore efforts is a necessity.
Probably a less radio friendly sophomore effort than Starsailor’s
Silence Is Easy, and a smoother experience than their mercury nominated Asleep In The Back, Cast Of Thousands, while not exactly critic proof, shows Elbow avoiding the formula that’s already proved successful without going so far as to qualify as to totally reinvent what made them noteworthy to begin with. |