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In a world where even the generally mediocre likes of Snow Patrol can have honest to goodness mainstream pop success, it seems peculiar that Elbow have never broken through beyond a devoted cult following. (Admittedly, the fact that their new labels, Polygram's alt rock imprint Fiction Records in the U.K. and Geffen in the U.S., are their fourth and fifth, respectively, after stints on Island, EMI, and V2, may have a lot to do with their lack of mainstream attention.) Exploring the fruitful middle ground between early Radiohead's mopey art rock and Coldplay's radio-friendly dumbing down of the same, Elbow makes records built on a balance of things not often found together anymore: strange musical textures alongside immediately accessible pop song choruses, or unexpected left turns in song structure paired with frontman Guy Garvey's warm, piercing vocals. It's no surprise that Elbow are regularly compared to old-school prog rockers like Pink Floyd and Electric Light Orchestra: they're proof that records can be cool and commercial at the same time, an idea that's not particularly hip in this day and age. Yet a song like "Grounds for Divorce," which puts a sharp, wryly funny Garvey lyric against a clanging, Tom Waits-like arrangement and throws on one of the album's catchiest tunes for good measure, or "Some Riot," which filters a yearning, lovely melody for guitar and piano through so many layers of effects and processing that it can be hard to tell what the original instruments sounded like, isn't afraid to display its accessibility even on its most experimental numbers. At the album's best, including the spacious, atmospheric balladry of the opening "Starlings" (imagine if Sigur Rós could write a pop song as emotionally direct as Keane's "Everybody's Changing") and the potential radio breakthroughs of the soaring, semi-orchestral epic "One Day Like This" (complete with choral climax!) and the wistful "Weather to Fly," The Seldom Seen Kid is Elbow's most self-assured and enjoyable album so far. [The U.K. version added "We're Away" as a bonus track.] ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
more albums by this artist
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- Leaders Of The Free World
- Released 2005
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- Asleep In The Back
- Released 2001
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- Cast of Thousands
- Released 2004
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- Cast Of Thousands
- Released 2003
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listener reviews
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always a good album form elbow
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- By justBARRY
- 12/15/2008 17:14:38
- exelent uk band it must be said
and the new release seldom seen kid is just as good if not better than elbows previous albums.
i have been a fan of elbow ever since i herd thair first album asleep in the back and its one i always seem to keep constently playing trough the years - Be the first person to rate this review!
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L4D
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- By TC ExMachina
- 11/20/2008 17:59:51
- I heard their song Grounds for Divorce from the Left 4 Dead trailer, but when I found their whole album it was not just one good song but 11 great tracks each having its own particular taste
- 1 out of 1 people
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top listeners
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- 46 plays
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- 143 plays
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- 499 plays
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