Elbow have carved yet another wonder for both the long-time fan and the newbie, whose first taste of the band's magic was the massive hit Grounds For Divorce.
Build a Rocket Boys! whisks you to a far-away place from the first listen. The beautiful and understated, yet slightly unsettling, piano rhythms of "The River" conjure up the dreamlike state referred to in its lyrics. The call-and-response whistling of the introduction of "Lippy Kids" with its ear-perking, head-tilting effect is quiet and tinged with poignancy. And the harmonising vocals of "Dear Friends," has that same ability to transcend the otherworldly.
Another outstanding vocal performance
Guy Garvey’s vocal performance is outstanding, with its range being showcased perfectly in the upbeat "With Love." The clarity of words is a complete relief. The lyrics written for this latest album, as with any Elbow offering, are not to be missed. Filled in Elbow fashion with tales of love, friends and youth, Garvey’s words are meaningful and carry with them charm in abundance.
Those who appreciated rejoiced in the sing along style of "One Day Like This" from The Seldom Seen Kid will not be disappointed with yet another feel-good arena song "Open Arms". Making their appearance before headliners U2 at Glastonbury this year on June 24th, the track will be sure to go down a treat with the inevitably large crowd.
The band's first affinity with the choir came to be at the Manchester International Festival in July 2009, and they haven't looked back since. The youthful choir are featured in six tracks from Build a Rocket Boys! and their voices fit magnificently with the subdued tone of the album.
"When we were making this record we had it very much in our mind that we'd love to work with a choir again. It seemed really fitting that it would be the Hallé Youth Choir, not just because we know them, but because they're so great. We've written quite a few of these songs with them specifically in mind," Garvey said on the Halle website.
With a Mercury Music Prize under its belt, are Elbow a changed band?
It seems the success of The Seldom Seen Kid has most certainly not sent the band rocketing into producing tedious, uninspiring hits - a regular occurrence with bands of such overnight worldwide success, which of course, in Elbow’s case, was long overdue.
Build a Rocket Boys! instead captures Elbow at its finest, its freshest, and at its most creative without the loss of its essential Elbow ability to strike a chord with every listener.
Rosie Webber - I am 18 years old and in September will be studying Journalism at the University of Gloucestershire in the UK. I love to write about ...
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