Elbow
Little Fictions

The Elbow, a fundamental band especially for lovers of alt pop/rock from across the Channel, arrives at their seventh studio effort.

After the incredible success of “The Seldom Seen Kid” back in 2008, the band led by frontman Guy Garvey (fresh from a successful solo debut with “Courting The Squall” in 2015, which even climbed to the podium of the UK chart) has delivered a pair of good/great albums, and now releases “Little Fictions,” their first work following the departure of the essential drummer Richard Jupp (after a twenty-five-year tenure with the band).

Produced by the faithful Craig Potter, the album opens with the beautiful single “Magnificent (She Says),” dominated by Garvey's ever-splendid voice and a crystal-clear string arrangement that makes it one of the most immediate tracks in the British band's career. In general, even a quick look at the tracklist, particularly the track lengths, reveals an urgency never before seen in Garvey and company's records, known for always taking their “space” when composing (often their songs exceed six minutes by a good margin).

Let's forget the almost aggressive urgency of the old “Grounds For Divorce.” Here, instead, we go from the frenetic percussion of the third single “Gentle Storm” to the remarkable title track, in which Elbow skillfully builds a nice crescendo before the (always well-controlled) explosion at the end.

The second single “All Disco” is another gem, found in a hypothetical middle ground between the latter-day R.E.M. (the less edgy ones of “Reveal” and “Around The Sun”) and the Velvet Underground (who are also very present in the closing of “Kindling”). “Trust The Sun” and “Head For Supplies” (more jazzy the second, closer to the very latest Radiohead the first) lower the tones and align with an album filled with rather classic ballads in their construction, see “Firebrand & Angels,” “K2,” and “Montparnasse.”

In conclusion, Elbow continues on their brilliant artistic path and reaffirms themselves as an incredibly solid reality, hoping the quality remains this high in future productions of this now essential band.

Best track: Little Fictions