12.23.2020
THE 10 BEST ROCK ALBUMS OF 2020, RANKED
Insider: Max Kalnitz: December 23rd 2020.
8. “Hey Clockface” is an expansive mixture of moods and flavors showcasing Elvis Costello’s masterful lyricism.
To understand the genius of Elvis Costello’s “Hey Clockface” you needn’t look further than the album’s cover. Costello has been writing music almost nonstop since the late ’70s and now, at 66, he’s attempting to stop the clock and reflect on his life.
“Hey Clockface” is a wide-ranging mix of flavors and moods rendering it impossible to label the album as one genre.
This could be Costello looking to explore new sounds while he still has time left, though the fact he recorded sections of the album in Helsinki, Paris, and New York with the occasional help of local musicians is owed credit too.
Even after listening to the album multiple times, it’s hard to remember where it will take you next. There’s the title track in which he quotes Fats Waller while sounding like Randy Newman; “No Flag” is blessed by Costello’s seminal punk sound; Costello beatboxes on the bombastic synth track “Hetty O’Hara Confidential;” and Costello recites a speech to the Eastern-influenced ambiance of “Revolution #49.”
“Hey Clockface” is at once restless and meticulous, prosaic and poetic, exploratory and familiar. Perhaps it’d be easier to say it’s just amazing.
Watch out Clockface, because Elvis Costello isn’t going anywhere.