Elbow - The Take Off and Landing of Everything

Elbow
The Take Off and Landing of Everything
10 March 2014
Fiction

3 stars out of 5

 

Elbow isn’t exactly an exciting band. They’re not about energy, nor innovation, nor fun. They’re not danceable. They don’t rock. They’re not dark or weird enough to be cool and they’re not happy enough for radio. And yet they’ve managed to survive long enough to release their sixth LP, The Take Off and Landing of Everything, on a label previously synonymous with The Cure, Fiction Records.

 

“This Blue World” starts things off with the sedate, reserved, and melancholy dirge that is typical of Elbow these days. The second track, “Charge,” sees singer Guy Garvey sounding almost exactly like Peter Gabriel, at whose Real World Studios some of The Take Off was recorded. “Real Life (Angel)” is typical of the album: a slower than average tempo, essentially two chords, and clocking in at almost seven minutes. There’s not much to immediately differentiate much of what’s on this LP. Though, in all fairness, there’s more variety here than on a typical Ramones record. There’s nothing particularly bad or offensively bland here, but there’s nothing great or especially memorable either. I’ve listened to a few of these tracks three times now and I couldn’t hum for you their melodies from memory, because there’s nothing about them that would make them stick in your head.

I’d like to offer a few words in closing, but there’s really not much to say here. If you were to download only one track from this album I’d recommend “Charge”; it’s the most distinctive, though as such is the least definitive. If Elbow is your thing, you likely won’t be disappointed with this record. If they’re not your thing, you’re not missing anything.

reviewed by Richard Krueger