Ah, forgive me if I repost myself, as I didn't realize that there was an actual review thread for BARB.
I just thought I'd share my thoughts on the new album, Build A Rocket Boys.
Track by track review:
1. The Birds: Easily one of the best songs out of their entire catalog. A slow burner that builds to a glorious end. 5 Starlings
2. Lippy Kids: Slowing down already? Well, that's okay, everyone is allowed to do that from time to time. I really like this one. 5 Starlings
3. With Love: Oh no. No. No. No. What happened? I'm all for positivity, but this is a bit overblown. You've gone Coldplay on us. Easily the weakest thing on here. 2 Starlings
4. Neat Little Rows: Okay, now we're back on track! A fantastic romp throughout. Another to put amongst their finest. Let's get ready to rock out! 5 Starlings
5. Jesus Is A Rochdale Girl: Um, yeah...what I was saying about rocking out. Not happening, apparently. I understand that this is supposed to be an introspective musing on Garvey's past, but this is quite boring, actually. I mean, It sounds all very nice and it has a warm...fuzzy feeling to it, but oh....getting sleepy....zzzz. 2 Starlings
6. The Night Will Always Win: Huh? I don't remember this one. Upon the first listening of the record I must have slept through it. This one is actually very good. This one has that warm and fuzzy thing I spoke about previously, but without being overblown (With Love) or pretentious (Jesus Is A Rochdale Girl). 4 Starlings
7. High Ideals: Ooh, a pulsing beat and a guitar announcement followed by some nice orchestration. This is the one that woke me up from my little nap the first time around. The band drops out around three minutes in, leaving only a door shaking low ebb underneath Garvey's vocal. It's a pretty nice touch. Unfortunately, this song never seems to build any steam when it kicks back in, and just kind of peters out instead of soaring. 3 Starlings
8. The River: Uh oh, starting to doze off again...it's a good thing Garvey started singing when he did. Not a bad tune, but not super memorable either. 3 Starlings
9. Open Arms: Dammit. They're doing that Coldplay thing again. Slightly less overblown though, and I must admit that the choir sounds superb. However, it also sounds safe. 3 Starlings
10. The Birds (Reprise): Who's this? Did Garvey just age 40 years? No, he didn't (this track is sung by John Moseley, a 68 year old piano tuner), but this fellow is what I can imagine he would sound like if he did. With all of the observations of youth and aging, it's a nice thematic callback to the first song and it's really how the record should have ended. 5 Starlings
11. Dear Friends: I...I really wanted to like this one, but it just feels too much like a retread of "Scattered Black & Whites" or "Newborn" from their first album, 2001's "Asleep In The Back" but without the dazzling intensity of either one. This would have fared better as a B-Side in my opinion. With that said, I really do get a genuine feeling of sincerity and warmth from the whole group on this one, which is really what saves it. 3 Starlings
Yeah, Elbow is definitely comfortable in their own skin. And this record definitely has a very warm and fuzzy feeling to it, like your favorite old blanket. And like that blanket, you feel like you've seen this before. I was really excited for this record and I was hoping for a more transcendent experience. Unfortunately, it seems that they've decided to relax and play it safe on this one. A bit too much, in my opinion. A little more intensity - there's a glimmer of it on "The Birds" and "Neat Little Rows" - would have helped. To be fair though, after all of the accolades that they (rightfully) received for "The Seldom Seen Kid", I suppose they deserve kick back a little. So yes, while a bit disappointing, I look forward to the next one.
Overall Rating: 3.64 Starlings out of 5
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