Albums by this artist

I can only use "wow, Elvis Costello has finally gotten back to his roots" so many times to begin a review before it loses all meaning. How about "wow, Elvis Costello has finally made another great record?" The Delivery Man combines the sounds (roots-rock and lo-fi live-in-the-studio recording) as well as the themes (distrust of Americans and distrust of love) of Costello's two great 1986 albums, King Of America and Blood & Chocolate. It's also informed by the drama of recent diversions Painted From Memory and North, and brings back the band from the pale-by-comparison When I Was Cruel. Whether because of Costello's newfound creative freedom or despite of it, The Delivery Man hums.

"Country Darkness" is the first outright great song on an Elvis record in nearly a decade, and it's only one of several. "Bedlam" and "Needle Time" cling to great riffs. "The Delivery Man" channels "I Want You." "The Name Of This Thing Is Not Love" lives up to its great title with a fine band performance and clever lyrics which echo the rhythm of the titular phrase. Lucinda Williams sounds like she was dragged directly from bed, or possibly the grave, to sing "There's A Story In Your Voice," but the pleasure of listening to Costello sing high harmonies, and the strength of the song, redeems her performance.

The band, which features two-thirds of the Attractions as did Cruel and most of Brutal Youth, sounds better than they have since Bruce Thomas left for good after All This Useless Beauty. Replacement bassist Davey Faragher, late of Cracker, abandons efforts to imitate the distinctive Thomas here. Rather he plays in a more rhythmic, in-the-pocket style, which shows its effectiveness on the opener "Button My Lip" and the clangy soul number "Monkey To Man." Steve Nieve and Pete Thomas, who are closing in on their 30th year in Costello's service, sound as appropriately suited to play the man's music as they always have. Nieve is particularly wonderful on "Country Darkness," where his organ makes all the difference. Pete Thomas, after session work with Pearl Jam and the Vines, is probably just happy to be back with guys his own age. The Delivery Man's laid-back concept prevents him from really setting things aflame at any one point, but his snare work on the shuffling "Bedlam" is predictably excellent.

Elvis has introduced work from this record in concert for years by saying it was an intended concept album, but the final product is no more "concept" than any of Costello's more thematically coherent past albums, particularly Armed Forces or Imperial Bedroom. The philandering title character is certainly a visible presence in many of the songs, and a nonlinear storyline can be inferred from such songs as "Either Side Of The Same Town," where the Delivery Man's world begins to close in on itself, and "The Judgement," where he is put on trial for his unfeeling nature. It's hard to say where "Monkey To Man," a Devo-esque anti-evolution rant, fits in. Likewise, if "Button My Lip" is being sung by the title character, then what does that mean exactly? Is his sin that he ignores the world outside his delivery route, or that he takes the world within for granted?

Larger narrative concerns may exist for the record as a whole, but for individual drama, it's hard to beat "The Delivery Man," the song, where Costello economically details at least four characters -- an older woman, a younger woman, a father who died at war, and the Delivery Man himself -- to a subliminally creepy Imposters performance and a great low-register vocal. "Heart Shaped Bruise," with Emmylou Harris, speaks its piece nicely as well.

The Delivery Man has its small flaws. The rockers are outnumbered by the ballads, which is disappointing since the majority of both are so enjoyable. A few of the slower numbers on the album's back end, particularly "Nothing Clings Like Ivy," are individually unobjectionable but do little to add to the album as a whole, particularly in the face of the great torch songs early on. The album was recorded in a weekend, which for the most part pays off with efficient arrangements and likably imperfect backing tracks. Some parts, however -- particularly Williams' haggard vocals and a few of Costello's trickier guitar leads -- could have used additional takes.

Still, there isn't a song on The Delivery Man that isn't at least entertaining, and more often than not they're quite a bit better than that. Costello's last several records have sounded hemmed-in for one reason or another, but Delivery happily bursts at the seams. If When I Was Cruel was a landmark for containing no songs you couldn't wait to end, Delivery Man is a greater success story -- it has some songs ("Country Darkness" in particular) you'll immediately want to repeat. More, please.

MARK DONOHUE | Known to some as "Western Homes," Mark is a graduate of UC Berkeley, a starving musician, and a Cubs fan. Be afraid. Very afraid.