Elbow

The most recognisable member of the BRIT and Mercury Award winning, arena filling, Mancunian musical institution (as they must surely now be regarded) that is elbow is on a high following the completion of the band’s landmark tenth studio album ‘AUDIO VERTIGO’.

“We referenced The Meters, Beastie Boys, Sly and Family Stone, Jimi Hendrix, Arctics, Queens of the Stone Age, Bolan, Tom Waits, Public Enemy and Alison Moyet and that’s just the opening song.”

‘AUDIO VERTIGO’ differs in vibe from recent elbow albums. Still recognisably elbow, long term fans will hear moods and shapes from the band’s long career, but the old and new are delivered with a confidence and urgency that reflects the mood in the camp. The sense of freedom and fun pervades across the tracks.

“We are restless.” Guy explains “There’s a lot wrong with the country and the world. But we decided not to reflect but to distract. We had a blast making it because the lads are at the height of their collective evil musical genius.”

If there is a constant, it is that enduring belief in the power of love, family, friendship, and community to overcome everything and an unwillingness to let the darkness win.

Ten albums in twenty-two years. It could feel like the end of something. Instead, it feels like an opening chapter.