Two years after the release of the Mercury Prize-winning The Seldom Seen Kid, British orchestral-guitar four-piece Elbow return to action with Build a Rocket Boys! Once eloquently described as “prog without the solos”, Elbow’s emotionally laden, grandiose formula is evident in full effect here.
While their sweeping strings, textured arrangements and heartfelt lyrics have remained, B.A.R.B sees a slight change in their songwriting practice with ideas and craft focused and simplified on usually only one idea. Opener ‘The Birds” pushes the eight minute mark with a beautiful guitar motif throughout. However its nature sees almost no development across its length, leaving the track feeling underdeveloped and repetitive.
Sadly this pattern continues across the record. On B.A.R.B, tracks feel like samples of ideas rather than fully realized songs. While each track is unquestionably beautiful and well produced, the musical journeying of previous albums is painfully missing. If there is to be any saving grace for Elbow, it is the grace and delicacy with which arrangements are treated. From the chorally accompanied “With Love” to the closing “Dear Friends”, the simple framework is stunning clothed with careful production and rich instrumentation. Vocalist Guy Garvery is also flawless is his delivery, covering the depth and breadth of human predicaments. Overall, a pleasant album but the songs’ often un-engaging formulae leave this an album perhaps best left as beautiful background music.
(3/5).
Elbow – Build a Rocket Boys
