Leaders of the Free World [Limited Edition]

For me, the highlights of 'Asleep in the Back' and 'Cast of Thousands' were 'Powder Blue' and 'Fugitive Motel' respectively. So is there anything on the new album that reaches the heights those two tracks attained? Well maybe not quite, but taken as a whole, this is a wonderful album which displays a level of song writing and craftsmanship rarely seen these days.

It is some time since I owned an album in which I have felt confident enough to play every track from start to finish without worrying about 'that weaker track' or the usual 'fillers' (and OK Computer may be the last one, which gives some indication of how highly I rate this).

Highlights are too many to mention and like all good albums, keep revealing themselves with each listening, but 'Great Expectations' is pure Elbow. Beautiful melody, and heart-rending lyrics from which Guy Garvey drains every last ounce of emotion. If this song doesn't bring to you tears, then nothing will.

After years of promising so much, Elbow have finally delivered. My only worry now is how they'll manage to follow this. 'Leaders of the Free World' is their best album to date by a country mile, and although I haven't rubbed salt and pepper into my hair just yet, it's going to take a great deal of time and effort from the band to match this one. In the meantime though, this should just be enjoyed for the intimate, thought-provoking, polished piece of work it is.

An absolute gem.

I reccommend dimming the lights, lying down, playing this at a reasonable volume and listening very carefully to the sounds you're hearing. It's only then when it becomes apparent how unique Elbow are.

Their trick involves compiling sounds together to form a cohesive whole, held together by enthusiastic drumming and bassing. Nowhere better is this exemplified than on the stunning "My Very Best"...I don't know where most of those noises come from, but added to the mix are lush violins, delicate electronics and spidery guitar lines. The cumulative impact is a gorgeous song. It's like building a palace out of gold bricks. The end effect is beautiful, but every single brick is equally beautiful.

See, this album needs time to be picked apart. Listen to the intricate arrangements and appreciate how innovative this band truly are. Their sound is a warm, human sound, perfect for these winter months. Let it seep in and you'll find it soundtracking your life. Personally, I always hear "Station Approach" in my head when I walk through big cities these days.

Picking up from where 'Cast of Thousands' left off, this album develops further in just about every aspect. In terms of mood and general sound, their 2003 release felt a lot more spacious and hopeful than 'Asleep In The Back', this newie just opens everything up again making the tracks seem enormous and epic, but without losing the humble touch that makes Elbow songs so charming.

'Station Approach' kicks the album off as a gathering builder like 'Ribcage' was previously before exploding into a stomper of an anthem. 'Picky Bugger' seems understated and cute, but there are typically sinister tones in Garvey's lyrics showing that the band have far from given up on the more menacing songs in their backcatalogue. 'Forget Myself', the first single, soars mightily with a massive energy that I've never heard in Elbow before- another indication of the gutsy direction taken here. 'The Stops' takes things down a peg and is a fine example of the hard work that has gone into the production on this record (which I'll come to later). The title track that follows is perhaps the most un-elbow one here, and whilst you might be caught off guard by the bizarre out-of-character guitar bit, it's not difficult to notice the similarities with 'Coming Second' off their debut- marching along with a bite and a sharp tongue, its a real highlight and (hopefully) a single. 'An Imagined Affair' calms things down again, but seemed to pass me by a bit on the first listen- perhaps one of those growers as a song that needs attention. Following this, the boys push the boundaries once more with 'Mexican Standoff' which, again, feels like a combination of the first two albums ('Red' and 'Fallen Angel' this time) creating a whole new beast altogether.

From here, all the solid, cohesive work thats gone on takes a slightly different form to close the album. 'The Everthere' is a bit of classic Elbow which plods along in a unpresumtious manner, but has your attention nonetheless. 'My Very Best' is another of my personal faves which is serene, tender and fully sincere made complete with a few familiar contributions from the string section. Next up is 'Great Expectations' which is something of a pure love song Garvey-style. The vocals echo and the mood is deeply melancholic but intensely personal as is common in Guy's lyrics- you wouldn't argue with the truth in the stories being told here and in the other songs, all the while adding magic of this collection. 'Puncture Repair' follows the fine tradition of easy album closers and really makes you appreciate the quality of Guy's talent as a singer and lyricist.

What impresses me most about 'Leaders of the Free World', is the way it shows all of the best qualities of Elbow. It has the cynical rocking with a restless temper that showed on the first album, but still had all the hope and spaciousness that was achieved by 'Cast of Thousands'. A lot of this is down to the quality production that has gone on here. This might sound corny, but it REALLY does sound like you're in the studio with the band while they're playing and to complement this, in between songs you can hear the band having a laugh with each other or discussing drumming techniques. Whilst this effect is achieved, it doesn't sound live or have any rawness which sacrifices the special atmosphere of a really good studio recording.

I wouldn't be surprised if, after several more listens, this becomes my favourite Elbow record and in terms of the wider world, they'll blow everything else out of the water when released in September. It doesn't even sound like they're trying. Elbow are just one of those bands that regardless of what the fashion or the scene is, they carry on with things on their own terms and still achieve something that sounds as original as it did five years ago. Glorious.