Elvis Costello
Brutal Youth

[Warner Bros.; 1994]

Styles: rock, pop, garage
Others: Nick Lowe, The Beatles, The Kinks

Elvis Costello fans were at dire straits in 1994; it had been a good ten years since their man had recorded anything remotely resembling his rock masterpieces. Some of his non-rock records of the period — 1986’s folky King of America and 1989’s quirky Spike — were great, while others were, well, Mighty Like a Rose. So when Brutal Youth reunited Costello with his beloved Attractions, fans were more than ready for it.

Of course, there was no way to live up to the fans’ expectations, and the album didn’t. As “returns to form” go, Brutal Youth is pretty lousy — nowhere near as brilliant as This Year’s Model or Armed Forces. It’s not bad for an Elvis Costello record. For a record judged on its own merits, however, it’s damn good.

Opening track “Pony St.” is a declaration of intent: the piano-driven intro lets us know we’re not in punk territory, yet there’s a charming wonkiness about it, like a shopping cart with a faulty wheel. The rest of the song is pure Costello, matching a meandering, yet precise melody with a whiff of desperation. It’s as if he’s sheepishly appealing to fans who deserted him with the (great) orchestral experiment The Juliet Letter a year before. These elements remain for Brutal Youth’s entirety.

Micthell Froom’s production is overly finicky, and it dilutes Costello’s atonal moments (such as the kinda-sorta garage-rock interlude of the otherwise sedate “Rocking Horse Road”), but the songs are some of the best the man has written. From fever dream “This Is Hell” (“‘My Favorite Things’ are playing again and again/ But it’s by Julie Andrews and not by John Coltrane”) to the playful “Clown Strike,” which sounds like Costello’s Stax-aping Get Happy!! work, there’s a lot to like.

Brutal Youth may not be the "comeback” fans were hoping for, but it was the beginning of a new era for Elvis Costello — with a few exceptions, he’s been mostly excellent since the album’s release. Costello fans tend to either favor his older or newer sound, but despite successful experimentations, his best music splits the difference.

1. Pony St. 2. Kinder Murder 3. 13 Steps Lead Down 4. This Is Hell 5. Clown Strike 6. You Tripped At Every Step 7. Still Too Soon To Know 8. 20% Amnesia 9. Sulky Girl 10. London’s Brilliant Parade 11. My Science Fiction Twin 12. Rocking Horse Road 13. Just About Glad 14. All the Rage 15. Favourite Hour