It took Elbow years to achieve success on their own terms. They were dumped by their record label more than once but refused to buckle. And eventually the nice guys of British music broke through with the Mercury Music Prize winning Seldom Seen Kid – a triumph which owed no little part to the magnificent singalong anthem One Day Like This. So has that success altered their approach to new album Build A Rocket, Boys? In the face of current the evidence, it seems not...
A sneak preview of the first track from the record, Lippy Kids, reveals a band who are absolutely comfortable with and committed to doing things their way. A mainstream anthem similar to ODLS would surely have cemented the Mancunians in the nation’s hearts – as well as guaranteeing massive sales of the album. But instead they’ve chosen to preview a subtle, low-key slice of melancholia. It captures childhood innocence and nostalgia wonderfully, choosing to see the best of those ‘lippy kids’ hanging about on street corners in a way which Garvey has mastered as our greatest current lyricist and one of our greatest vocalists. It’s affectionate, warm and beautiful in a way which Elbow have made their trademark – and long may it continue.
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