Originally published by L.S. Media. March 11th 2011.

It is easy to see why Elbow has been one of the most talked about bands of the last ten years, with a Mercury Prize being a pinnacle of a very achieving career. With four top twenty albums on the spin, Elbow have released what could be their biggest album yet in the form of the brilliantly titles Build a Rocket Boys!

The album has the feel of timeless quality that will make the listener appreciate the musicianship and complex themes running through the recording, none so more than the song Lippy Kids which takes a huge swipe at the older generation’s continued bashing of the British teenager, its atmospheric and Peter Gabriel sounding lyrics make the song a genuine contender for song of the year in any award ceremony.

One of the great things about Elbow is their ability to retain the group ethic and keep the same personnel throughout their recording career and even though this album marks a distinctive change in the bands approach to making music and it is possible to see the band stepping up a gear and moving away from the ethos of the first few albums.

Build a Rocket Boys! takes a long look at the world through adult and compassionate eyes, on tracks such as With Love, the lyrics deal with a melancholy that has been missing in music for a while, a song that has the ability to make you change your mind and the way you think about subjects whilst still retaining the ability to make you smile at the thought. This quality is a very rare attribute to attain.

One of the finest tracks on the album is the excellent Jesus is a Rochdale Girl, which shows what can be done by mixing personal poetry and a great set of musicians. Guy Garvey, Mark Potter, Craig Potter, Pete Turner and Richard Jupp should be congratulated for bringing these songs out on the one album.

A strong contender for album of the year and it would be a travesty of epic proportions if it was not in the final mix.

Ian D. Hall