POP/ROCK
Elvis Costello & the Imposters, "Look Now" (Concord)
Costello had already finished his new album, his first with the Imposters in a decade, before he had to undergo surgery earlier this year to remove "a small, but very aggressive cancerous malignancy."
But he really does sound like a man enjoying life, returning to peak form as a songwriter, telling tales about leaving behind bad situations and celebrating good ones. And Costello is using a broader sonic spectrum to bring those stories to life.
The opener, "Under Lime," harks back to Costello circa "Imperial Bedroom," the album he was showcasing on tour when he began work on "Look Now." He teams up again with Burt Bacharach for the gorgeous ballad "Don't Look Now." "Burnt Sugar Is So Bitter," a collaboration with Carole King, is a brilliant clash of 1977, putting languid verses of disco gloss next to multi-syllabic bridges of new wave intensity. There are also moments of Daptone-soul ("Unwanted Number") and the grandest of Britpop on the lament "I Let the Sun Go Down."
While Costello would normally spend entire albums focusing on one of these styles, it's actually thrilling to hear all of them jockey for attention on the same album. The single "Suspect My Tears" is one of Costello's best songs in years, with its nods to '70s soul punctuated by an unexpected falsetto and a string section that goes rogue at the end to demonstrate the song's theme of what happens when "two hypocrites collide."
With a career as solid as Costello's, it's easy to take his dependable quality for granted. "Look Now" is a stunning reminder of how lucky we are to still have him around.
Glenn Gamboa, Newsday
HIP-HOP
Brockhampton, "Iridescence" (RCA)
Brockhampton promise so many things for music's future it's impossible to resist the hype. A 14-member hip-hop "boy band" of rappers, producers and visual artists, they already boast Kevin Abstract, one of the most gripping gay voices in rap history. Without major-label support, they cranked out three increasingly impressive mixtapes last year. They're proud of their boundless sonics, too: The constantly shifting new "Iridescence" bounces from drum'n'bass ("Weight") to "Hey Jude"-style ballad climaxes ("San Marcos"). A live string section is in tow; Abstract claims the record was inspired by Radiohead's era-defining "Kid A."
But for all the goodwill, energy, spirit and ideas bursting from "Iridescence," the group's allergy to hooks, editing or coherent reasons why one part segues to the next, thematically or musically, blocks the greatness they may well achieve one day. Merlyn Wood's enraged turn on "J'ouvert" and Abstract's confessional opening verse on "Weight" stand out, but this group continues to traffic in showstopping moments rather than memorable songs.
Dan Weiss, Philadelphia Inquirer
new releases
• Greta Van Fleet, "Anthem of the Peaceful Army"
• Lil Yachty, "Nuthin' 2 Prove"
• Yoko Ono, "Warzone"
• Elle King, "Shake the Spirit"
• Ace Frehley, "Spaceman"
