Elvis Costello - The Boy Named If.

Despite being considerably busy with other projects, Elvis Costello still has "time left" in 2021 to record his thirty-second studio album The Boy Named If (And Other Children's Stories). The actual release took place in mid-January 2022. The album was received quite favorably by critics and the public. The main protagonist (vocals and guitar) is backed by The Imposters, a band consisting of Davey Faragher on bass, Pete Thomas on drums and percussion, Steve Nieve handling keyboards and piano, and Sebastian Krys and Nicole Atkins adding vocals.

British singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, real name Declan Patrick MacManus, is a native Londoner, vegetarian, occasional actor, Liverpool Football Club fan and husband of jazz singer Diana Krall, with whom he has twins. One of his great idols was Roy Orbison, with whom Elvis even shared a stage. He has also worked with a number of big stars in the past, including Green Day, Paul Mc Cartney, Tony Bennet, Brian Eno and others. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him as the 80th greatest artist of all time. His most recent work, The Boy Named If, is very much a reflection of his work to date, the result of which is "what's happening right now".

The album, clocking in at over 52 minutes, begins contradictorily with Farewell, OK, a rock 'n' roll song of McCartneyian cut. It promises a brisk, lively rhythm that fades away in the following The Boy Named If. What thankfully remains is the tension in the vocals, good verse and chorus construction and a reminder of all that is good about Costello's previous work. Hints of the seventies are evident in the following Penelope Halfpenny. The playful The Difference, with its tiny Beefheart quirk, has an identical tempo to the following What If I Can't Give You Anything But Love The album has its strong points, and one of the highlights is the narrative Paint The Red Rose Blue with its expertly constructed melodic line and precisely evoked atmosphere. The songwriting prowess is evident in the pulsating ninth track Magnificent Hurt with a somewhat cacophonous guitar solo, and pretty much throughout the rest of the album. Perhaps slightly more interesting are the slower-paced tracks, such as the penultimate Trick Out The Truth, which again does not deny the influence of the still-active Beatle Sir Paul Mc Cartney.

Thirteen Songs from the Pen of Elvis Costello is a testament to a mature musician and artist. It has an unquestionable quality in terms of interpretation and creativity. The question is whether it provokes repeated listening.