Customer Reviews

North

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Sometimes complexity can be disguised as simplicity. Sometimes the quietest moments can speak the loudest. While perhaps not to everyone's's taste, Elvis Costello's North is certainly an inspiring example of less being indeed much more. In this case, more heart, more soul, more passion.

Having said that, those who do not respond favorably to this addition to the Costello canon can certainly be forgiven. I would describe it as anti-easy listening, as it requires a great deal of attentive involvement from the listener in order to reap its many and deceptively varied rewards.

When a man's musical output is as ambitious and as far-ranging as Elvis Costello's, it should be taken as a given that not all of his work will be embraced by the same audience all the time. People who dig the rave-up assault of "Pump It Up" may or may not enjoy the country twang of "A Good Year For The Roses." People who love the urbane song structures of "Painted From Memory" may or may not appreciate wilder sonic experiments like "Hurry Down Doomsday." And that's OK.

But for the adventurous, sophisticated listener, North is a hugely gratifying piece of work by the continuingly amazing Mr. Costello. A heartfelt paean to love lost and love found, it slowly and delicately reveals its complicated emotions in unexpected and genuinely moving ways.

As a songwriter, vocalist and entertainer, few artists can match the sustained brilliance and unparalleled musical integrity of Elvis Costello.His aim has always been true - but now it's true North.

Suddenly he's Tony Bennett, all croon and swoon. No razor cutting lines or overtly clever-clever punning to be found on "North," only a man baring his soul. In his most style-departing record since "The Juliet Letters," Elvis Costello tries to re-invent himself for an album of cabaret love songs. Of course, there are those of us who would rush out and buy an Elvis CD if there were rumors of him singing polka. (That includes me.) But from the moment he strings begin to swell and the non-ironic pain filled lyric of "You Left Me In The Dark" unfolds, it's hard not to be taken aback at the way he lays his emotions bare. This is the grown-up Elvis, challenging himself to deal with maturity without punching it in the kisser.

The results are mixed. By concentrating almost entirely on ballads and torch songs, Elvis finds himself with too many samey arrangements. That doesn't make them any less enjoyable, and they are all sumptuously played. Also of note is the piano of longtime associate Steve Nieve. He's been a secret weapon ever since the days of the Attractions and here his playing is brilliant.

When the songs do connect on their emotional level ("Fallen," "Still," "I'm In The Mood Again" and "You Left Me In The Dark"), the songs rate with Elvis' best and are reminiscent of his collaborations with Burt Bacharach. He keeps the lyrics here to an admirably restrained plain spokeness, giving them the stark, film soundtrack quality the arrangements cushion. Of note as well are the vocals, which he keeps in a low and comfortable range. (Unlike "The Juliet Letters," where his singing often got unbearably screechy.) The songs here are also in an obvious sequence. The first five are about loss and heartache, then, from "When It Sings" on, "North" begins to take on a much happier tone. I'm glad he's in love again, frankly. He seems in fine sprits by the closing number. "North" is not a masterpiece, but it still shows Elvis to be a vibrant musical force almost 30 years since he stunned everyone with his debut. It also makes me hope that he gets back to picking up guitars again soon.

A quick note about the DVD bonus cuts. There are 3 songs here. The left of the CD title track is interesting in that it really is kind of out of sorts with the rest of the album's lyrical state. Of the three, only "Fallen" is a completed production and it's lovely. Elvis does a nice job of introducing the songs and his thoughts on the album. It's brief but worth having.

This beautiful CD seems so slow at first that I was almost ready to eject it half-way through the first song. But the once Angry Young Man has grown into a weary middle aged man. As if to slow down the entire process of aging and ask the question "When Did I Stop Dreaming?" A beautiful song looking back on a life where love always managed to slip through his fingers. And yet through the deeply touching sadness--expressed through a voice which is on the verge of shattering and arrangements so simply complex; EC reminds us of love and beauty found in "Still". No longer angry& bitter this Elvis is not near ready to give up.He concludes with cautious optimism-"I dont know what's come over me....but, "I'm in the Mood Again." Beautiful and Poignant!

This album seems to be a sort of historical record of the breakup of Costello's marriage to Cate O'Riordan and his subsequent meeting and becoming engaged to Diana Krall.
My personal favorite is "STILL". It is a lovely ballad that is heartwarming and makes you feel what is in his heart.

If you liked his recording with the Brodsky Quartet, you will thoroughly enjoy this as well.