English band Elbow released its latest album, The Take Off and Landing of Everything, March 11th as Guy Garvey, lead singer, turned 40.
Band members have been playing together since 1990, and as Elbow since 1997. They’ve released six albums since 2001, all of which have been place in England’s top 15 albums. The production of The Take Off and Landing of Everything started at the end of 2012, and at first was called Carry Her, Carry Me, then All At Once, and then finally to what it is now.
I listened to the album a few times over time, a track here and there, and I thought that it was decent. Once I got the chance to sit down and listen to it in its entirety, without any distractions, in the quiet with some headphones, I didn’t want to stop listening.
The Take Off and Landing for Everything is epic. It’s cerebral, a little introspective and full of brilliant lyrics. It has a very orchestral sound and can be sort of dreamy at times. It doesn’t have many stadium songs, but that does not mean it is lacking in any way. It’s an album to be reckoned with, to be soaked up.
Bassist Pete Turner told Q magazine in 2012 that the album would be “experimental,” and that they had been “going left field with things. We are trying out new things.”
Track number 03 is “Fly Boy Blue-Lunette,” and starts with a deep baritone brass section. With raspy vocals, Garvey talks about friends, drinking and bluesy times. By the end of the song, the guitar tunes up and Garvey’s voice gets softer, whimsical and more melancholy. He sings of cigarettes and booze as he slips deeper into his sadness.
Next is “New York Morning,” a nice up beat complement to the previous track. The track has the feel of a days progression from waking up to enjoying a sunny afternoon. It’s accompanied with climactic crescendos and of course Garvey’s comforting tune. The song winds down with the sunset as he sings, “The way the day begins decides the shade of everything, but the way it ends depends on if you’re home.” The song was inspired by Garvey’s time spent in New York in 2012 while composing music for the musical King Kong.
The hour long album is only 10 bones on iTunes and well worth it. Make sure you set some time out of your day to immerse yourself in it without distraction and repeat.
Track List:
01 This Blue World
02 Charge
03 Fly Boy Blue/Lunette
04 New York Morning
05 Real Life (Angel)
06 Honey Sun
07 My Sad Captains
08 Colour Fields
09 The Take Off and Landing of Everything
10 The Blanket of Night
