music
Costello returns more Elvis than ever
Elvis Costello’s new album, Look Now (Concord Records), is all optimism. The musician returns with The Imposters –Steve Nieve (keyboards), Davey Faragher (bass) and Pete Thomas (drums)– 10 years since the acclaimed, Momofuku. Along with the most Beatle-like tracks, Costello has also saved some space for melancholy. The album alternates pieces from his singular vision of pop with ballads made with an old ally, the composer and pianist Burt Bacharach, who appears on three tracks. The mythical composer, Carole King, also makes an appearance.
The final result is an album that makes a real impact, on which Costello sings better than ever. I don’t know if Look Now is the best album in the long and fruitful career of Declan Patrick MacManus (Liverpool, 1954), but it very well could be. Every song sounds like a hit and the instrumentation is clean and precise.