Elbow - Asleep In The Back (2001)

Never have I battled so hard to get to grips with an album. The Elbow experience is akin to watching a confusing film. You know deep down it is quality but if you're honest with yourself you are clueless as to what's going on. Sooner or later, though, something happens and it all makes perfect sense. ‘Any Day Now' single was the first single release from the album leaving little or no impression. It just seemed too lifeless and dull to warrant attention. Put alongside the other tunes on Asleep in the Back it really does blossom however. It’s easy to overlook it's laid back grogginess. The drifting organ and gentle guitar persuasion combine with Guy Garvey's mantra to make a heady cocktail.

The follow up 'Red' is a lot more lucid, the chiming guitars are solid and round when viewed against Garvey's gentle tones. There are earthy reminders of Talk Talk on this and a number of the other tracks. The drumming is lavish (Jupp) and quite able to stand up on it's own feet without accompaniment. Could Reni's exulted crown at last be under threat from another Mancunian? 'Little Beast' embellishes some fearful pretences. It is slightly unwieldy but all the better for that. Garvey sounds aloof but the sense of skewed melody is omnipresent. 'Powder Blue' has a real lazy strum and a piano underbelly that somehow elevates the vocals whenever the singer puts his mind to delivering the heart crushing chorus. It's enough to stop you in your tracks, a tune that is heavy of heart but boasts some of this decades most magical musical moments. 'Bitten By The Tail Fly' is a bit of mess, but what a glorious one. It resembles a sleeveless tailored suit, outwardly useless but perfect for a summer that forgets to end.

In an album that is about as cheery as a funeral, 'Newborn' provides a pleasant interval even if the lyrics are studiously morose at times. Delightfully tender and melodic, it is the epicentre of an album that continually eeks out some solace. Towards the end of 'Newborn' an unexpected blaze of sound releases a sublime fusion of vocal and electric chords signalling a band reaching for the stratosphere. This is the precious moment that Elbow's potential becomes obvious. 'Don't Mix Your Drinks' was likely to meander aimlessly but thankfully it is made all the more cohesive by a gorgeous guitar swerve that flirts with the listeners minds. 'Presuming Ed' filters Radiohead at their most languid. Garvey spills out a doppelganger Thom Yorke vocal while Craig Potters on the piano in a most understated way. The whole effect isn't earth shattering but it is nevertheless quite endearing.

'Coming Second' had the makings of a plodding misery but repeated listens reveals it's kooky charm. So when the blurred noises threaten to spoil the party they instead add meat to a song that would have sounded positively skeletal without them. The words adopt that repetitive 'Any Day Now' stance as the Godzilla like eruptions dwarf them. 'Can't Stop' proves to be an ideal tonic for the preceding song. For once the subtle guitar nuances sound crystal clear as Garvey makes a rare break from his reserved vocal stance. Music like 'Scattered Black And Whites' is not going to go unnoticed, because there is a rich imagination at work. Allied to this, is the remarkable musicianship within the band that has the ability to literally create something out of nothing.

The lyrics on 'Asleep In The Back' are slightly on the macabre side from time to time. You wouldn't expect Steps to come out with 'I'll be the corpse in your bathtub' or 'Your eyes are like black spots'. Thankfully the wonderful tunes that wrap themselves around these words mean that Elbow come across as wonderful satirists rather than clumsy miserabilists. Elbow's debut is a brooding masterpiece for the discerning ear. Don't expect the subtle melodies to confront you face to face. Instead, you can expect 'Asleep In The Back' to creep up on you when you least expect it. Once you’ve digested it, ‘A Cast Of Thousands’ awaits you.

Rating: 9/10

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