Armed Forces - ELVIS COSTELLO****

Accidents Will Happen/Senior Service/Oliver’s Army/Big Boys/Green Shirt/Party Girl/Goon Squad/Busy Bodies/ Sunday’s Best/Mood For Moderns/Chemistry Class/Two Little Hitlers

Elvis Costello reached the peak of his popularity and artistic credibility with the release of Armed Forces. The satire has been toned down and his subject matter broadened, as exemplified by the UK No. 2 hit Oliver’s Army. (US:10 UK:2)

“Here, sneering post-punk makes way for a sumptuous pop buffet, an album where even the most biting moments are driven by a strong sense of melody.”

“It's a bit front-loaded, Accidents Will Happen and Oliver's Army are absolute magic, but nothing that follows quite measures up to them. Nonetheless Armed Forces is a captivating closing chapter to his triptych of three great albums.”

“A fun and accessible pop rock album. Elvis delivers his own special brand of nerdy rock, with songs filled with catchy hooks and jolly lyrics. The songs are short, and there is a variation of ideas, both of positive points in this release.”

“The production is crisp and punchy, the guitars from the first two albums largely absent, making this more explicitly a new wave record. Whereas his earlier material espoused a bitter view of relationships, this album finds Costello offering more broad cultural commentary. As such, the record is less consistent, and often drags. As a listening experience, the tunes are often dampened by the unnecessary ambition behind them.”

“The barbs Costello tosses here are possibly more poisonous than the slices of pure rage that make up its predecessor, but he throws them a lot more delicately, masking them with chirpy, sparkling pop arrangements that might make you think this is a perfectly normal, feel-good album.”

“Not quite as good as his first two LPs, Elvis again displays his excellent songwriting skills. Combining punk attitude, new wave style, and catchy pop tunes he continues to amaze on an incredible run that cemented him as a punk/pop genius.”

“The intelligence mixed with anger strikes me most, and there is no need for vulgarity, unlike what we hear from today's rapping fools. The songs represent an artist at his peak, mostly short, sweet and brilliant.”