Elvis Costello - North

North, Elvis Costello's 20th album of new material, follows the deliberately classicist When I Was Cruel by a mere year, but it feels more the sequel to 1998's Burt Bacharach collaboration, Painted From Memory, or even 1993's roundly ignored classical pop experiment, The Juliet Letters. Costello has abandoned clanging guitars and drums of Cruel -- abandoned rock & roll, really -- to return to a set of classically influenced songs, all "composed, arranged and conducted" by the man himself (on The Juliet Letters, he was merely the composer and voice). The songs on North are pitched halfway between traditional torch ballads and arty contemporary Broadway writers such as Stephen Sondheim. This isn't so much a shift in direction after When I Was Cruel as much as it is an extension of the Bacharach album (in this context, Cruel seems like the aberration), but it's also a reflection of Costello's new love for Canadian jazz singer Diana Krall. It's not just that North is somewhat of a song cycle, starting with the despair of a failed relationship and ending with the hope of a new love, but that it's somewhat written in the style of Krall's music: self-consciously sophisticated and slightly jazzy. Ultimately, North is not jazz-pop; it's classical pop, with Costello more interested in the structure, arrangement, and words of the song rather than mere catchiness. It's a very writerly album, in regards to both the music and lyrics. Consequently, it takes a bit of effort to get into the album, since it purposefully lacks hooks and songs as immediate or tuneful as those on Painted From Memory or "Jacksons, Monk and Rowe" from The Juliet Letters. This is not a flaw, per se -- it's simply what the album is, a collection of subtle songs performed with an elegant understatement. Unlike The Juliet Letters, North never feels like an exercise, nor does it feel like Costello has something to prove. It's a specific, personal album with serious ambitions that it fulfills. If the album ultimately winds up being something to listen to on occasion rather than a record to spin repeatedly, that doesn't make Costello's achievement with this song cycle any less admirable. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Andrew Haveron Violin, Group Member Andy Snitzer Sax (Tenor) Ann Leathers Strings, Violin Avril Brown Violin, Strings Bob Carlisle French Horn Bob Ludwig Mastering Bobby Routch French Horn Brad Jones Bass Brodsky Quartet Musician Carol Webb Strings, Violin Cecelia Hobbs Gardner Violin, Strings Cenovia Cummins Strings, Violin Conrad Herwig Trombone (Tenor) Crystal Garner Viola, Strings Dave Mann Sax (Alto) Dave Taylor Bass Diane Barere Celli, Strings, Cello Elena Barere Leader, Violin Ellen Westerman Cello, Celli, Strings Elvis Costello Conductor, Piano, Guitar, Composer, String Arrangements, Producer, String Conductor, Arranger Frederick Zlotkin Celli, Strings, Cello Ian Belton Violin, Group Member Jacqueline Thomas Cello, Group Member Jacqui Danilow Strings, Bass Jan Mullen Strings, Violin Jeanne LeBlanc Cello, Strings, Celli Jill Dell'Abate Production Coordination, Contractor John Moses Clarinet Jon Bailey Engineer Jonathan Dinklage Strings, Violin Joyce Hammann Violin, Strings Karen Dreyfus Strings, Viola Keir Milligan Assistant Engineer Kevin Killen Engineer, Mixing, Producer Lee Konitz Sax (Alto), Soloist Lew Soloff Flugelhorn Mark Seliger Photography Marti Sweet Strings, Violin Maura Giannini Strings, Violin Maxine Roach Viola, Strings Michael Formanek Bass Pamela Sklar Flute (Alto) Paul Bishow Executive Producer Paul Cassidy Group Member, Viola Paul Peabody Strings, Violin Peter Doris Assistant Engineer, Engineer Peter Erskine Drums Peter Winograd Violin, Strings Rebecca Young Viola, Strings Regis Iandiorio Violin Richard Locker Celli, Cello, Strings Richard Sortomme Violin, Strings Roger Rosenberg Clarinet (Bass) Sarah Adams Viola, Strings Stacy Shames Harp, Strings Steve Nieve Piano, Celeste, Pianette, Arranger, Piano (Electric) Sue Pray Viola, Strings Timothy Cobb Bass, Strings Yana Goichman Violin, Strings Yuri Vodovoz Violin, Strings