Elbow
Leaders Of The Free World

THE REVIEW

What do Elbow lack to become great?

A mystery without an answer for over a good half-decade, ever since "Asleep in the Back" saw the light, the album of the year for me and a good example of that (pop)rock which seems to have practically abandoned us to the mercy of this army of next big shit.

"Leaders Of The Free World" is the third chapter in a saga interrupted by the good "Cast Of Thousands", which for the record contained a pearl of rare beauty for me, "Fugitive Motel" (for those who want to delve deeper, I recommend the special edition with an attached DVD: the video is even more wonderful).
An album every two years for Elbow and let's be honest: they all sound a bit similar. Complex arrangements, ethereal voice, delicate and sumptuous guitar-bass interplays, heartfelt singing. Radiohead-like, to whom, indeed, something has always been missing to become Radiohead.

But what?

I've had the chance to attend a concert three times; at the end of one of these, I was fortunate enough to meet Guy Garvey, but when I asked him, he didn’t answer, so since then I have been looking at the rivers for something else poignant that might interest me.

I like to imagine that "Leaders Of The Free World" is their most rock album (if we exclude the litany opening of "Station Approach": but all Elbow albums start in a litany): note the compelling bass of the title track, a six-minute ride at the Robert Smith-Depeche Mode borders, or that "Mexican Standoff" which - although nestled between two delightful and subtle lightnesses - sounds like raging Tindersticks on acid.

An enchanting album.