Little Fictions
Elbow
(Concord Records)
Four stars
On their seventh studio album, British art-rockers have lost a founding member, but the music they deliver is some of the best they’ve made in years.
The band’s hallmarks are still here – a swelling orchestra, the unmistakably smoky voice of Guy Garvey, and some moderately depressing lyrics – but it is easily one of the band’s most accessible.
That may be due to a major change in their engine room. This is Elbow’s first release as a four-piece group, following the departure of its drummer Richard Jupp. The result is some airy, electronic beats at the heart of many songs.
It is the closest you can get to dancing to an Elbow record and that’s saying something.
There seems to be a more collaborative spirit to the songs. They are dreamy and romantic and unfurl without judgment.
Among the standout songs are the gorgeously layered Magnificent (She Says), the hypnotic Firebrand & Angel and the brilliantly sparse and needy Gentle Storm. Sure, there are some overindulgent, bombastic tunes. But Elbow sound positively rejuvenated.
* AP
