Boy With A Problem

May 5th 2008 by E..

Elvis Costello & The Imposters - Momofuku (Lost Highway)

In the past year, I’ve seen Elvis Costello twice; once with a full orchestra, and once with his latest backing band, The Imposters (which features two thirds of his original group, The Attractions). Needless to say, the show with The Imposters was much better. As big a fan of his immense catalogue as I am, I must concede that Costello’s career is notoriously inconsistent. From classic new wave and pop records to questionable forays into classical music and blue-eyed soul, few genres have yet to undergo Costello’s touch. With his latest album, Momofuku (ostensibly named for Momofuku Ando, creator of instant ramen noodles), Costello continues his recent garage-roots rock phase. His last album with The Imposters, 2004’s The Delivery Man, was an uneven mishmash of blues, folk and shouting. For those who, like me, didn’t think that The Delivery Man, well, delivered, Momofuku combines all that is good about Costello’s scatterbrained musical direction. With some songs that sound like outtakes from early albums like Armed Forces (“American Gangster Time”) to the more brash songs that echo 1986’s Blood & Chocolate (“Turpentine” and “Stella Hurt”), Momofuku, like Costello himself, is all over the place. Joining the King on many songs is Jenny Lewis, who “oohs” and “ahhs” her way through the jazzy “Harry Worth” and “Drum And Bone”. I’m still undecided if Momofuku ranks up with Imperial Bedroom or This Year’s Model, but it’s without a doubt the album that many of Elvis’ fans have been waiting for..

Review by Eric Schuman

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