Is there currently a more consistent British band than Elbow?
Over the course of seven years and 4 albums, they have made a unique corner of Indie-land their own. Whilst ‘Seldom Seen Kid’ does not quite scale the glorious heights of ‘Asleep In The Back’ or ‘Cast Of Thousands’, it is certainly a massively affecting collection of songs.
By turns heart-rending and wonderfully uplifting, this set charts familiar, but never entirely comfortable territory.
The opener, ‘Starlings’, is at points so achingly honest and confessional as to be almost awkward to listen to and you almost fear for Guy Garvey's mental health!
Garvey’s wonderful falsetto could make 3 Blind Mice sound like a paean to lost love and in places on this record his vocal performance is genuinely moving. As a counterpoint to this, ‘One Day Like This’ gently rises to such a lush, life affirming crescendo that it should be prescribed to Seasonal Affected Disorder sufferers to be taken twice daily! A welcome return from masters of their craft.
Top Tracks: ‘Starlings’, ‘Grounds For Divorce’, ‘One Day Like This’.
Released 17/03/08 on Polydor