Cast Of Thousands

The great thing about this album is its layers: Elbow really have a thing for attention to detail. All the tracks add layer upon layer to create amazing soundscape-like masterpieces that are at once catchy and melodic.

The experimentalism on this album is also catchy. Everything from the offbeat, sometimes jazzy sometimes just odd drumming to the quiet piano, repetitive guitar sounds, melodic offbeat bass and giant gospel choirs just seems to work well together. This is partly due to great production by Ben Hillier & Elbow and partly due to the band's creativity. The good thing too is that the album still retains the dark, melancholy feel of the first album; it just achieves it in slightly different ways. This experimental feel just blows other bands out of the water.

But it's not just the music that's great. The lyrics are what make the music still feel human. Guy Garvey adds wit and romanticism to every song, and his Peter Gabriel-like voice just adds to this feel. "Lost in a lullaby, side of the road, melt in a melody, slide in a solitude". Beautiful.

Some people say this album is more uplifting than the last, and, while that is true to an extent, the constant darkness of the first album is still here which is what I love. You just love the fact that the band are moody and unhappy, and they can't get enough of it themselves either. That's what makes this album work.

So, in conclusion: great layered structure, unusual musicianship, brilliant lyricism, great production, curiously unhappy but uplifting feel... what more do you want? These guys are the future of rock music, so buy them now. And congrats to Elbow for making such an amazing record in a much shorter space of time.

Their debut album, Asleep at the Back was definately an album to play late at night when you want to get your emotion on. Powder Blue and Newborn were made to pull on those little heart strings that we all seem to possess deep down. It was an album full of epic, emotion driven songs that we all fell in love with.

Cast of Thousands is more subtle. For those of you who have bought it on the back of Fallen Angel or Asleep at the back (album), played it once, and shelved it to the 'will never play again unless i'm dead bored' part of your CD collection, believe me, you are missing out on a gem.

It is an album that has to be played 7 or 8 times before you can even start to comprehend it's magic. OK, it has its catchy tunes like the 'Fallen Angel' and 'Buttons and Zips' (There is almost a 'The Chicken or the Egg' paradox behind the chorus "Will I ever get this song off my lips, thats what you said"), but after a few more plays, you start to get hooked on songs like 'Fugative Motel' and 'Not a Job', and realise this is probably the best stuff you've heard since OK computer was around.

'Switching Off' is this albums Newborn, the almost naked voice of Guy Garvey has never sounded as good. This guy really means what he's singing, it obvious isn't it? It's coming from his soul. You don't hear that sort of emotion in voices coming out of the kids on the millions of manufactured bands we seemed to be bludgeoned with. But don't worry Mr Garvey, you are making sense to me, and I know exactly what you are trying to say.

Other highlights of the album include the spiritulised-esque 'Ribcage', the devilishly delightful 'I've got your number', with the dirtiest organ you will ever hear. 'Grace Under Pressure' is another Newborn-type epic, with a little help from a certain glastonbury crowd.

This is definately an album worth buying. It's full of soul, magic, raw emotional power. Well down Elbow for making another superb album.

We still believe in love.