North
2003, Universal Records, Air Studios (London) & Avatar Studios (NYC)

1. You Left Me in the Dark - 3:26
2. Someone Took the Words Away - 4:35
3. When Did I Stop Dreaming? - 5:22
4. You Turned to Me - 2:32
5. Fallen - 3:12
6. When It Sings - 3:58
7. Still - 2:27
8. Let Me Tell You About Her - 4:23
9. Can You Be True? - 3:45
10. When Green Eyes Turn Blue - 4:17
11. I'm in the Mood Again - 2:34

Following his getting the critics firmly back on his side with the adventurous When I Was Cruel, it wasn't long before Elvis Costello was back in the studio again. This time, though, he had a very different agenda. In 2003, after seeing one another for several months beforehand, Costello had proposed to jazz singer Diana Krall. This, naturally, had a massive impact on his writing for his next album, both lyrically and musically. Taking to Avatar Studios in New York City with his old pal Steve Nieve behind the piano and an array session musicians, Costello went about recording several songs he'd composed on the piano (unusual for a start, given that he writes much more often with a guitar in his hand) in a style that he could envisage his new fiancee singing over (the Brodsky Quartet overdubbed the string arrangements in London after the initial sessions). This basically amounted to a very slow, very reined-in cross-over between jazz and Sinatra-esque torch music. Looking at the lyrics, the venomous cynicism and razor-sharp wit you'd normally associate with the man's lyrics are nowhere to be found as we have a record which, for its first half, speaks of the collapse of his relationship with former Pogues bassist Cait O'Riordan and, for the second, celebrates his new-found love.

It's all very syrupy and sweet but, to be honest, is probably my least listened-to Elvis Costello album (Goodbye Cruel World and Punch the Clock, my least favourites, still have a strange charm even with the amount of dross on them), and one I can't really be bothered to review song-by-song as I usually do. It's not that it's a truly terrible album, and there aren't any gut-wrenchingly awful moments as on the aforementioned albums, but it's just that for the most part North is pretty average. Every song is on exactly the same line, which works for a lot of albums I admire, but not here where the linear, piano-led and slow-burning minimalist approach Costello opts for with the songs doesn't allow for much of a variation in sound. A lot of the time the melodies just aren't strong or memorable enough to save a lot of the songs mediocrity either. As I said earlier, the lyrics, often a saving grace of Costello's less memorable songs, are simply not interesting enough to keep one's attention for all the point-blank, red-raw declarations of love or lamentations of its being lost.

So, there aren't exactly any bad songs here, but just a bunch of mediocre, pseudo-torch songs. Even the lower points of Painted From Memory were more memorable when it comes to easy listening (which, let's not dance about labels, this album is). There are exceptions though - When It Sings, with its very bright melody, and Someone Took the Words Away, with a fittingly gloomy atmosphere to it and a wonderful sax solo at its end, are among Costello's better works. They aren't quite enough to make this album rise above the mire though. Basically, if you're interested, download those two songs and don't bother with the rest.

4/10





^And here's something extra that comes with the limited edition bonus DVD