Even with a classic band lineup, Elvis Costello tends to do too much at once ★★★☆☆

Elvis Costello moves between two extremes: the rocker who spits displeasure into the microphone while guitar and drums underline everything bold and staccato and the songstress who composes well-thought-out songs with curls. So if those rusty guitar dissonances from opener Farewell, OK, slap you in the face, it seems clear: we’re dealing with the straightforward rocker. The man who serves pointed pop songs with a snare drum like a tin can and Steve Nieve’s wonderfully whining organ. Listen to Magnificent Hurt and you will feel the power and fierceness of an ace.

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