Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel
(Island)
It's a good time to be an Elvis Costello fan. Rhino is re-releasing his back catalogue (albeit slowly, where's Armed Forces, huh?), and he's got himself a new album. Some might even say this is his first "real" new album since 1994's Brutal Youth. Kojak Variety was all covers, All This Useless Beauty featured songs Costello wrote for other artists and finally decided to record himself (you could argue that this counts, I suppose) and Painted From Memory was a collaboration with Burt Bacharach that sounded like nothing else in his catalogue. So When I Was Cruel is his first set of tunes he wrote by himself specifically for a new record since Brutal Youth (except for "Spooky Girlfriend," which was written for Destiny's Child, but it's not like the whole album hinges on songs he wrote for others).
"That may very well be," you might say at this point, "But is it any good?" And I would answer yes; When I Was Cruel is Costello's best album since Blood And Chocolate. For the first time in a long time, Costello has made an album where every song is good, and most of them are great. Right from the opener, "45," you're sucked in and Costello doesn't let us go until the end. Without warning, you'll find yourself singing parts from any of this album's 15 songs. Whether it's the opening of "15 Petals," or the long verses from title track, or the chorus of "Tart," it all gets stuck in your head, and it won't leave. And like the best Costello albums, When I Was Cruel not only holds up to repeated listens, it reveals new depths the more one puts it on.
Every song has a strength. "45" is the perfect opener. The lyrics are so smart that you listen intently to hear the next rhyme. Doing that, you get caught up in the unforgettable melody. "Spooky Girlfriend" is contemplative and lyrically odd (it was written for Destiny's Child, so give it a break) but in the end it grows on you. "When I Was Cruel No. 2" features a great sample from an Italian pop song that gives the track a new and distinctive flavor. "15 Petals" features an amazing vocal performance from Costello, a rock solid melody, and a chugging organ that make it one of the finest songs in his whole catalogue. "Tart" is like a musical plea. "Dust 2..." rocks away, while "Alibi" feels like the album's emotional climax. "Daddy Can I Turn This?" has a crunch that bowls you over, and "Radio Silence" ends the album on a somewhat somber note. The other songs on the album are as good and distinctive as the ones mentioned, but you get the idea.
The weakest part of the album is actually the single, "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution)." It's not a bad song, but compared to the rest of the album, it feels like it could have been a B-side. And the decision to make it the lead off single is a bit strange to me. I could have easily seen "45" becoming a popular radio song, with its smart lyrics and endlessly catchy verses. Or, with its evocative vocals and melody, "Alibi" would have made, in some strange abstract way, a great companion to "Alison." At least "Tear Off Your Own Head" comes along early enough in the album that it gets mostly forgotten in the wake of all the great songs afterwards. It's certainly not bad enough to do damage to this excellent album, Costello's best in over a decade. It's work like this that reminds me why Elvis Costello is one of the most important artists in rock and roll.
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