Over the past seven or eight years, I've followed the career path of Elbow, and their charismatic leader vocalist and lyricist Guy Garvey, but try as I might, their music never sparked any real interest for me. I didn't hate it, but I guess it was of a particular tempo and mood that I felt I needed to be in a very specific frame of mind to understand and appreciate.
You'd think I'd have given up after a couple of albums, but I persevered... and it payed off eventually. their latest album, The Seldom Seen Kid is the Elbow album I was made to love. Created and produced in their self-contained studio, it is a richly rewarding listen. Garvey's vocals have always been smooth and soulful, and I've always enjoyed listening to him sing, but here he sounds like he's come around to a point in life where his life experience and knowledge match the worldliness that his pipes have always eluded to.
The album came out April 22 (my birthday!) on Geffen in the States, just about a month after it's UK release. Current single "Grounds For Divorce" hit #19 on the UK charts, and it's follow-up, "One Day Like This" should follow it into the charts when it's released in June. So far, "One Day..." is my favourite track, but that's like picking your favourite ewe from a herd of cloned sheep.
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