Fans of British singer Elvis Costello have been coming into their own in recent years. After albums Look Now (2018), Hey Clockface (2020) and the Spanish-language tribute album Spanish Model (2021), Costello already has The Boy Named If ready. In more ways than one, we hear Costello moving into a younger version of himself. For starters, there's the youthful energy of the 67-year-old singer and his
… band The Imposters. It makes for a raw and punchy band sound. Next, there is the subject matter. Many of the songs are written from the perspective of a Costello in his teens. That male, for example, sits in the back of the classroom admiring the legs of his teacher Penelope Halfpenny, or tries to put previously unexperienced feelings into words in Magnificent Hurt. Melodically, the songs are also of high quality. Costello manages to sound like an experienced musician, who at the same time has yet to grow up. (JV)more
