Leaders of the Free World [China CD]

Rating

Album: Leaders of the Free World [China CD]
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Station Approach	More Info...	4:22
2)	Picky Bugger	More Info...	3:07
3)	Forget Myself	More Info...	5:22
4)	The Stops	More Info...	5:03
5)	Leaders Of The Free World	More Info...	6:11
6)	An Imagined Affair	More Info...	4:44
7)	Mexican Standoff	More Info...	4:01
8)	The Everthere	More Info...	4:14
9)	My Very Best	More Info...	5:34
10)	Great Expectations	More Info...	5:05
11)	Puncture Repair	More Info...	1:48
2)	Picky Bugger	More Info...	0:03
3)	Forget Myself	More Info...	0:05
4)	The Stops	More Info...	0:05
5)	Leaders of the Free World	More Info...	0:06
6)	An Imagined Affair	More Info...	0:04
7)	Mexican Standoff	More Info...	0:04
8)	The Everthere	More Info...	0:04
9)	My Very Best	More Info...	0:05
10)	Great Expectations	More Info...	0:05
11)	Puncture Repair	More Info...	0:01

Album: Leaders of the Free World [China CD]
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Station Approach	More Info...	4:22
2)	Picky Bugger	More Info...	3:07
3)	Forget Myself	More Info...	5:22
4)	The Stops	More Info...	5:03
5)	Leaders Of The Free World	More Info...	6:11
6)	An Imagined Affair	More Info...	4:44
7)	Mexican Standoff	More Info...	4:01
8)	The Everthere	More Info...	4:14
9)	My Very Best	More Info...	5:34
10)	Great Expectations	More Info...	5:05
11)	Puncture Repair	More Info...	1:48
2)	Picky Bugger	More Info...	0:03
3)	Forget Myself	More Info...	0:05
4)	The Stops	More Info...	0:05
5)	Leaders of the Free World	More Info...	0:06
6)	An Imagined Affair	More Info...	0:04
7)	Mexican Standoff	More Info...	0:04
8)	The Everthere	More Info...	0:04
9)	My Very Best	More Info...	0:05
10)	Great Expectations	More Info...	0:05
11)	Puncture Repair	More Info...	0:01

Performer Notes

Hong Kong import of 2005 release
Personnel: Stella Page (strings); Jason Boshoff, Alexis Smith (programming).
Audio Mixers: Andy Bradfield; Tom Rothrock.
Recording information: Blueprint Studios, Manchester, England; Elbow Rooms; Strongroom, London, England; Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, CA; The Embassy, Los Angeles, CA.
Editor: Mike Tarantino.
Illustrator: Michael OShaughnessy.
Arranger: Marius de Vries.
On its third full-length studio outing, the Manchester, England, quintet Elbow deftly balances ambition and accessibility, creating yet another fascinating album in the process. As with its lauded predecessors (and many of the best rock records, in general), LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD reveals its charms with repeated listens; although frontman Guy Garvey's plaintive vocals and the band's lush arrangements are immediately striking, their subtleties are slowly unveiled.
The weighty opening number, "Station Approach," gradually gains steam, while "Picky Bastard" coasts along on a slinky, mischievous melody. The album's centerpiece, appropriately enough, is the fierce title track, which features scathing guitar work that plays off of chiming keyboard lines. Elbow also excels at soaring songs of heartbreak, as best evidenced on "My Very Best," where Garvey emotes "you've gone and made a beautiful hole in my heart" over a swooning string section. Although Elbow doesn't quite have the mass appeal of its contemporary Coldplay, the group's staunch adventurousness is one of its finest attributes, and those willing to spend some time with LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD will be rewarded with a rich, dynamic record.

Professional Reviews

Entertainment Weekly (p.64) - "[T]he quintet still generates intensity from rich, economical guitar-strings-piano strokes, but the gloom-rock tunes are as sophisticated as ever..." -- Grade: A-

Uncut (p.108) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Elbow are splendid: a group with integrity, prepared to take risks and possessed of actual musical ability."

Mojo (Publisher) (p.108) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[T]he album's genesis is apparent in the deft combination of emotional intimacy and musical ambition."