"i'm twice the foolish man i was before..."

this is, simply, a major album by a major artist.

king of america(1986) was the first hint at what elvis costello's project was going to be over the next decade or two. his love for the roots of american music was stated & amplified. this was no bono & u2's lame & superficial gestures to inspiration. as the best songwriter of his generation, costello recognizes the genealogy of the myriad forms of pop music & also sees that most of that comes from america. this is not to say he doesn't go his own way w/other releases(there have been 24 albums between king of america & this new one)but his fascination w/american roots music is clearly where his heart lies; it's what seems to inspire his best music now.

while king of america was the prelude & 04's delivery man & 06's the river in reverse were the dress rehersals, the new album is tight, tuneful, & nearly flawless. he uses fiddle & banjo & pedal steel w/economic precision & the acoustic arrangements are clear & edgy. he brings his great song craftmanship & historical knowledge to the project which creates more complex melodies(no 3chord songs here)& connects tin pan alley w/the carter family, gershwin & porter stylistics w/cash & haggard simplicity. as usual, the lyrics are a great mix of clever wordplay, unexpected rhymes, & insightful storytelling.

i don't see this as an outsider working or reworking historical precedent(eg, the beatles or the early stones). this isn't imitation. this is organic. this is a great songwriter allowing his vast historical knowledge to merge w/his emotional creative force to produce a seamless whole. costello has been working towards this album for 20 years & it is w/o a doubt an unmistakable costello album. it's also unmistakably an american music album(w/hints of english folk balladry too). the depth & energy of that aesthetic tension sparks the passion costello uses to embody music. this isn't music that can be made from the outside looking in. it's music made from deep inside history & being.

i've spent the last few days streaming this. i haven't started jumping ahead or growing impatient w/any single song. as far as my ear goes, i don't hear ANY duds here. there are standout cuts("how deep is the red", "my all time doll", "down among the wines & spirits", "red cotton" "complicated shadows")but nothing drags or disrupts the flow of the album. that's one more thing that clued me into how fine the album is. that just doesn't happen anymore.

this isn't a great video but it is from our great free music festival out here in the bay area, "not strictly bluegrass."

enjoy. & stream the album free here.