Less adventurous listeners among us parted company with Elvis Costello after he hitched up with the Brodsky Quartet to dabble in chamber music for 'The Juliet Letters' album. And little he has done since 1993's baroque'n'roll opus has convinced them to return.
For, while Declan McManus quite rightly wanted to experiment, to show how versatile an artist he was, most of us stick-in-the-muds wanted him to stick to the barbed, robust, post-punk rock melodies with bile-soaked lyrics he crafted (and we loved) so well.
'Brutal Youth' was okay, if lacking that killer Costello punch. But that was eight years ago. Since then, he's penned TV soundtracks ('GBH'), collaborated with easy listening king Burt Bacharach ('Painted From Memory') and opera singer Anne Sofie Von Otter ('For The Stars'), made a cameo appearance in Austin Powers and taught music during his residency at UCLA.
Which all serves to make the first four tracks of 'When I Was Cruel' the most exciting opening to any -not just Costello- rock album in years. Yes, wake up you at the back, because, for the narrow-minded music lover, The Imposter is on cracking form once more!
The caustic, soulful voice, the cranky guitar, the edgy, snide, largely baffling lyrics, the bristling arrangements - they're all here, as are Attractions keyboardist Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas along with a host of young Irish musicians.
Opener '45' - described as "autobigraphical arithmetic" by the man who turned said age a couple of years ago - is raucous, compelling rock. 'Spooky Girlfriend' - the tale of a slimy, deluded Svengali and his firm young charge - is a darkly claustrophobic slither laced with Special AKA style trombone. Current single 'Tear Off Your Own Head' is robust, relentless and glorious. Fourth offering 'When I Was Cruel No. 2' meanwhile is trip hoppy lounge-style lope, all looped beats, 007 twangy guitar and sampled female vocals. Fantastic!
The rest of the sixty five minutes though is a patchy affair - at worst Elvis-by-numbers, at best sparkling gems for you to discover amidst the remaining twelve tracks. The slow, reflective 'Alibi' - "I love you just as much as I hate your guts", the lighter poppy strum of 'My Little Blue Window', the sparse, late-night menace of 'Oh Well' and the brassy, brazen Latino lilt of the Tom Waits-ish 'Episode Of Blonde' are all mighty fine strokes of the master's brush.
Just a little sensible pruning then and 'When I Was Cruel' would be a triumphant return to rocking form for Mr Costello. But then, isn't that what the skip button on your CD player is for....
