Costello scores again!
Back in the day, as a young DJ we received Costello's first album at the radio station. All the other jocks laughed at his Buddy Hollyish look.
I thought he looked cool and all the tunes on that, what I think was his first release, were great.
Then this past year I saw him live with Dylan. Just Elvis and his guitar and frankly I thought he was a lot more entertaining than Bob.
I bought his latest and was knock out by the diversity he shows on this record. "American Gangster Time" with its hint of organ in the background is a killer. The other tunes on this release are just as good especially the eclectic "Harry Worth".
This is Costello's best in a long time. I think I'll listen to it again,and again and again...

Elvis Costello and the Imposters - Momofuku
Every faux-witty emo band out there should bow at Elvis Costello's feet. The curmudgeony Englishman is the king of acerbic anger backed by whimsical melodies and underlaid by a subtle levity and clever wordplay. On his newest record he taps into the skills of young indie rockers like Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice (who both no doubt owe him a debt of gratitude). Tracks from this disc easily stand alongside Costello standards from watershed albums like "My Aim is True" and "Armed Forces". All the usual Costello angst is here, along with the timeless melodic sense that has made him one of the most consistently enjoyable performers of the last four decades.

Best Elvis Album since...
I love this record. For my entertainment dollar (as Letterman might say),I think it's the best rockin' Elvis album since the '80s (trust, taking liberties, and imperial bedroom come to mind).

Granted we love the softer side of Elvis at my house, too, be it Kodak, work with Burt B., or North -- this album brings Elvis back to his punk/new wave roots. More recent rocking efforts have been interesting -- say, Delivery Man, All This Useless Beauty, and so on, but MOMOFUKU was a delightful suprising return to brighter days.

Thank you, Mr. MacManus, for continually reinventing yourself but also for celebrating a particular gift you have, too.

An Exciting Throwback
Even though I form my own independent opinion of a recording, I find it useful to mull previous reviews and listen to an album again before I write mine because sometimes others point out important aspects of that album which I had missed. That is especially true when an album has generated so much critical excitement as has Momofuku.
An English music magazine I read heralded this as a throwback to the days when Elvis Costello was a new and exciting force on the music scene. And on many cuts, that judgement is spot on. But on other cuts, Costello shows a mature and reflective side that harks not back to My Aim Is True and This Year's Model, but to the days of Imperial Bedroom and King of America.
For the benefit of those who haven't heard Momofuku yet, the following songs will take you back to the mood of Costello's earliest days: The superb American Gangster Time, Drum and Bone, Stella Hurt, Mr Feathers, and Go Away. His more sensitive side asserts itself on Flutter and Wow and on My Three Sons. One reviewer found that last one corny, but you have to admit Costello has a way with words. As good as most of the album is, my personal favorites are Harry Worth and the aforementioned Stella Hurt.
I have been an Elvis Costello fan since he appeared on the scene, but I can't claim to have heard all his albums. In recent years, he has embarked on a variety of projects that were personal flights of fancy and many of those have yielded mixed results. Momofuku marks an exciting throwback to the style of music for which most of us became Elvis Costello fans in the first place. Don't miss this one!

Disappointed...
Frankly, I am disappointed. However, I do give him credit for variety. Yes, I hear "Burt", early 80's, Blood and Chocolate, etc....but the nah, nah, nah's were a huge turn off...(and please, let Jenny Lewis do her own stuff) and I know "my three sons" is touching, but - again - can anyone say "corny"! Gone are the days when I would listen to an Elvis CD day and night for months on end....I may pull this one out in 2010. After 30 years I may finally have to move on...DCFC anyone? Too bad, I've been a life long fan.