Elbow
The Seldom Seen Kid

THE REVIEW

The Mancunians Elbow are one of the most talented British bands currently around.

Guy Garvey and his bandmates boast excellent fans (R.E.M., U2, John Cale) and tons of positive reviews from critics and the public; this "The Seldom Seen Kid" is their fourth studio release, and arrives three years after the excellent "Leaders Of The Free World".

Recorded at Blueprint Studios in Manchester, the album was produced (by keyboardist Craig Potter), mixed, and recorded without any external collaborators (a first for the band); in the United States it will be released only this month via Geffen. The album title was chosen to pay homage to a dear friend of the band, who passed away in 2006; "The Seldom Seen Kid" is in fact the nickname his father used to call him by and is also contained in a verse of the track "Grounds For Divorce".

"Grounds For Divorce", in fact, is the single that pushed the album into the English top five (the first time in the band's long career); an insistent and engaging rhythm (decidedly Zeppelin-esque), marked by piano and claphands, and an intense and heavenly singing, make it an authentic indie pop gem of rare profundity.

However, it is not the only great song on the album: "The Seldom..." is a splendid, evocative work, steeped in strong personality. It is divided between tracks that prioritize atmosphere, like the beautiful opening "Starlings" (rarefied and basic electronics, often interrupted by violent instrumental explosions), the likely second single "Weather To Fly", embellished with brass instruments, or "Some Riot", and songs more focused on melody construction, an aspect facilitated by Garvey's stunning vocals; included in this category are "Bones Of You", with a vaguely Latin beginning that turns into perfect pop rock, or a masterpiece of the caliber of "The Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver", where choral quality, melody, and evocativeness go hand in hand, painting a picture that seems almost to expand beyond its own frame. Undoubtedly one of the best tracks heard this year in the alternative rock field.

In "The Fix", we find a most welcome guest in Richard Hawley, invaluable with his excellent vocal ability in outlining the sly and atypical narrative of the track. "Mirrorball", then, is the track that Coldplay can no longer write. Highlight "One Day Like This", the first single for the United States, wisely adorned with strings and piano.

Elbow returns with a delightful album, marking yet another milestone in the growth process of this excellent band, sometimes really too underestimated.

A thoroughly enjoyable confirmation.

Key tracks: "Starlings", "Grounds For Divorce", "The Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver", "The Fix", "One Day Like This"