SONG OF THE DAY [#279]

'grounds for divorce' | elbow

elbow is one of the few bands out there these day truly blows me away. i remember the first time i heard their sophomore album, 'a cast of thousands,' and being literally gobsmacked by the intensity of its beauty. it's definitely one of my desert island discs. to this day 'switching off' and 'not a job' are two of my favorite songs of all-time. 'switching off,' for my money, is right up there with 'god only knows' as one of the most beautiful songs ever written. i'll stand by that assertion until the end of time. it's just that good.

a couple of years have passed since their third album, 'leaders of the free world,' but elbow is finally back with their fourth long player, the cheekily-titled, 'the seldom seen kid.' as is to be expected, it's fantastic. guy garvey retains his place as one of the preeminent vocalists and lyricists working today, and you just get the feeling that the band are simply some of the finest musicians out there. there songs are so unconventional, but so immediate and wonderful. sure, radiohead gets most of the pub as the headiest band out there, but screw them. i'll take elbow anyday. 'the seldom seen kid' drops 3/18 in the U.K and 4/22 in the U.S. of A.

→ elbow: grounds for divorce | video
→ elbow: switching off | video
→ elbow: not a job | video