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[RabbitFurCoat]

01



For a hell of a long time I've never seen the fuss with Elbow. Just an alright band who make decent music but it's generally a bit samey and boring with the odd cracking tune ('New Born', 'Forget Myself', 'Asleep In The Back'). I didn't think they'd ever be a band I'd buy an album by, let alone enjoy. They released lead single 'Grounds for Divorce' and nothing much had changed. It was a decent enough tune, but I didn't feel it was great. Then I heard 'One Day Like This'....

It completely won me over, my opinion took a U-turn. It was brilliant, it was emotional, it was epic, it left me wanting more. I downloaded it instantly and 29 weeks later it's still in my Personal Chart. I doubt there's ever been a track I've listened to more than that, every single day this summer, to and from work. And it never once got even slightly annoying/boring/dull etc. I bought 'The Seldom Seen Kid' soon after and was reasonably impressed, though really I just felt it was a bit like Elbow of old; decent enough, a bit samey with some decent enough tunes ('Weather To Fly', 'Grounds for Divorce', 'One Day Like This'). However the more I listened, the more it grew on me, the more I realised it was about as close to perfect as it's possible to be.

The lyrics, the melodies, Guy's ever so soothing voice, the way it flows. Whenever I listen to it I get captured in the most wonderful place and I feel like I want to melt. The opener 'Starlings', not particularly attention-grabbing at first, but is a beautiful song. The pace is upped with the anthem 'The Bones of You' before back to the mellow 'Mirrorball', one of the most gorgeous songs I've ever heard. 'Grounds for Divorce' is next and it works so much better on the album, a stomping, ballsy, sing-a-long anthem which couldn't have been placed anywhere better. 'An Audience With The Pope' is the only song I've not fallen in love with and the only song I could even consider to let the album down, I'd only rate that at about 8/10!

It soon picks up though with 'Weather to Fly', the song which I found most instant. The lyrics, the simple instrumentation, the backing 'aah's that are constant throughout, it's still probably my favourite track after 'One Day Like This'. 'Loneliness of a Towe Crane Driver' gives me goosebumps, 'The Fix' is excellent too, the added vocal of Richard Hawley (superb in his own right) adds so much to the song, 'Some Riot' is as lovely as they come and then it comes to 'One Day Like This', surely the best album closer since about 'Champagne Supernova'? But hold on, there's more. 'Friend of Ours' closes, written as a tribute to Bryan Glancy, a friend of the band who died in 2006. He is The Seldom Seen Kid. It's stunning, it really is. As Guy sings the double 'love you mate' a tear is brought to my eye, not something that ever happens if I'm honest. For a hell of a long time I've said Interpol's 'Turn on the Bright Lights' is my favourite album of all time. If that was released this year I'm not even sure it would be number one. If I don't go off this album in 2009 then I think I will regard it as my favourite ever.



'One Day Like This'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfVejpYc8Zc

'Weather to Fly'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqx4o6QyywU

'Mirrorball'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMD7FIpq11Q

'Friend of Ours'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vsl3tuhauk

'The Bones of You'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r3Bs_KkP94

It does seem incredibly harsh to leave out the other 6.