CD Reviews

Elbow | Build A Rocket Boys!

(Fiction/Polydor/Downtown 2011)

By MIRIAM LAMEY | April 6, 2011

3.5 Stars

With the Mercury Music Prize for 2008's The Seldom Seen Kid, Elbow took their rightful place among post-Britpop stars. This fifth studio album is a humbly gorgeous collection, propelling an already dynamic band into even more dramatic, heart-wrenching territory. Standout track "Neat Little Rows" builds with chalky, choppy percussion and ringing synth — the perfect foil to a chunky lead riff — while Guy Garvey's voice gives the infectious chorus the power to soar over silvery keys and tambourine. Opener "The Birds" is dripping with typical Elbow beauty, Garvey's soft, mournful vocal melody gliding under layers of drums and reedy guitars. The undercurrent of nostalgia comes to the surface on "Lippy Kids," one of the 11 tracks featuring the Manchester-based Hallé Youth Choir. Insistent, heady piano keeps time as Garvey tells his tale of longing, inviting listeners to picture said "lippy kids on the corner again." It's typical of Elbow's ability to create their own musical universe with honest imagery and evocative songwriting.

Topics: CD Reviews , Music, Pop, New Music, More

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