Elvis Costello & The Imposters: Momofuku - 2008

  

This album was, apparently, rush-released after Costello had been ranting about never releasing anything in the UK ever again. His hot air all came to nothing and this album suddenly appeared. It was a good one too, one of his best, rockiest non-Attractions albums. 

The Attractions-ish No Hiding Place opens the album in lively fashion, while American Gangster Time has real echoes of Bob Dylan in the Blonde on Blonde era, plus once again lots of Attractions-style music, particularly the keyboards. It is a thumpingly impressive track, and Costello sounds really "up for it", vocally. Turpentine is a wonderful, psychedelic style song, slightly in the vein of Lipstick Vogue, from This Year's Model, especially in Pete Thomas's drum sound. 

Harry Worth is one of those typically-Costello staccato numbers, with that instantly recognisable drum sound. The song is named after long-forgotten comedian Harry Worth, who was really popular in the late sixties-early seventies. The song doesn't seem particularly related to him, however. Drum And Bone is a jazzy-ish, slightly bluesy rocker in that Costello-blues style. 

Flutter And Wow has a big, thumping bass sound backing Costello's yearning vocal. Stella Hurt is a marvellous, grinding number, with some great organ and industrial-sounding guitar. It burns from beginning to end. Mr. Feathers is one of those shuffling 1920s/30s jazzy ballads Costello specialises in. 

My Three Sons is a slow and emotive song from Costello to his sons. It is melodic, atmospheric and heartfelt too. Song With Rose sounds like something off Blood And Chocolate, with some Attractions-Style piano. Pardon Me Madam, My Name Is Eve is an infectious-sounding song full of archetypal Costello wordplay. Go Away is sort of sixties blues rock meets Oasis, with the latter's rhyme scheme in the chorus. 

Overall, this is an impressive, largely upbeat Costello album. Very powerful and rock-ish in its sound, like Brutal Youth.

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