Elvis Costello & The Imposters new album: The Boy Named If

New album available January 14, 2022

Elvis Costello Official Store

The Boy Named If Track Listing:

1. Farewell, OK
2. The Boy Named If
3. Penelope Halfpenny
4. The Difference
5. What If I Can't Give You Anything But Love?
6. Paint The Red Rose Blue
7. Mistook Me For A Friend
8. My Most Beautiful Mistake (guest vocal by Nicole Atkins)
9. Magnificent Hurt
10. The Man You Love To Hate
11. The Death Of Magic Thinking
12. Trick Out The Truth
13. Mr. Crescent

 

So I guess this one didn't up getting produced by Nick Lowe after all? I remember there were rumors that Elvis' new studio album would be produced by Nick, but I guess it didn't end up happening.

ARE ELVIS COSTELLO & NICK LOWE REUNITING???

 

Awesome news!! For somebody who wasn’t going to make anymore albums (remember that?), he’s sure made a lot of (great) albums lately. ;-). Really looking forward to this. Going to his show in about a week in Michigan.

 

On January 14th, 2022, Elvis Costello and The Imposters release, ‘The Boy Named If,’ a new album of urgent, immediate songs with bright melodies, guitar solos that sting and a quick step to the rhythm.

‘The Boy Named If’ is preceded today with the release of a new rock & roll song called, “Magnificent Hurt.”

Costello tells us, ”The full title of this record is 'The Boy Named If (And Other Children’s Stories). ‘IF,’ is a nickname for your imaginary friend; your secret self, the one who knows everything you deny, the one you blame for the shattered crockery and the hearts you break, even your own. You can hear more about this ‘Boy’ in a song of the same name,”

Speaking of the lyrical content of the record, Costello added, “Once upon a time, when I didn’t know what a kiss could do and didn’t even dare to caress, the way ahead was a mystery; a departing from that magic state called innocence for the pain that leads to pleasure and all that jazz.”

“Don’t get me started about the guilt and shame and all those other useless possessions that you must throw overboard before you set sail with your dreamboat (and a runcible spoon),” remarked Elvis.

‘The Boy Named If,' - Produced by Sebastian Krys & Elvis Costello - is a collection of thirteen snapshots, “That take us from the last days of a bewildered boyhood to that mortifying moment when you are told to stop acting like a child - which for most men (and perhaps a few gals too) can be any time in the next fifty years," as Costello put it.

The record comes from EMI, with Capitol Records as the release partner in the US. It will be available on vinyl, compact disc and cassette formats or as a download and in the stream with all the other pilchards. The 8-Track and Flexi-disc releases will come later.

For those who like to hold something more substantial in their hands, the record can also be found tucked into an 88-page hardback storybook edition - each one numbered and signed by the artist.

This edition features thirteen illustrated short stories, which have the same titles as the songs on the record. Some of these fables set the scene for the songs, others are sequels, or a clue or hint to what might have been going on before the music began.

The lyrics can also be found in bold print alongside the colourful, dashing, sometimes macabre, daubs from the electric pencil of Eamon Singer.

Costello added, “Whatever you take out of these tales, I wrote them for you and to make the life of these songs a little less lonely, if you should care to dive in a little deeper.”

“I started ‘The Boy Named If’ with just an electric guitar, some sharps and flats, high heels and lowdowns, with five songs in bright major keys and carried on to write a whole new record for The Imposters to play,” Costello said.

Speaking of recording sessions, Costello said, “The initial rhythm section for this record was my guitar and Pete Thomas’ Gretsch drums, recorded down in Bonaparte Rooms West. Our Imposter pal of 20 years standing, Davey Faragher soon dialed in his Fender bass and vocals while we awaited dispatches from France.”

“If the record sounded swell as a trio, Steve Nieve’s organ was the icing on the cake, the cherry and the little silver balls,” Elvis added.

Since being forced to cut short a U.K. tour after a triumphant Hammersmith Apollo appearance in March 2020, Elvis Costello has released the album, ‘Hey Clockface’ and the subsequent French language E.P., ‘La Face de Pendule à Coucou’ - featuring the voices of Iggy Pop and Isabelle Adjani.

In the last twelve months, Costello has also completed “How To Play Guitar & Y," a comedic, “Words & Music” production for audible.com, and released the lavish vinyl box-set edition of the 1979 album, “Armed Forces” containing facsimiles of his original lyrical notebooks bound as pulp novels and comic books.

Speaking of re-fashioning a record, Costello said, “Pete, Steve and myself started out playing rocking pop music in another century. This year, ‘This Year’s Model’ came back to surprise us in another tongue. That edition is called,'Spanish Model.’”

Costello said, “Both that album and ‘The Boy Named If’ are records that are happening right now and if you want to draw a line between them, go right ahead.”

"Sometimes I sit and write things down, the rest of the time I play guitar in a rock and roll band. I love my family. I really love everybody, especially the people I can’t stand, even those who trespass against us and there are a lot of them.” "Yer pal. Elvis Costello”

 

i love the Edward Lear lift.

 

I love her voice, can't wait to hear them together on this track!

 

I won’t be surprised if the alternate version of “Farewell OK” shows up as a Japanese bonus track.

 

Good song. Artwork, not so much. Although I like it better than the last 2.

 

**** yeah!

 

His last two albums were excellent, especially Look Now. Hey Clockface was eclectic and mirrored the circumstances it was recorded during. There was talk of Nick Lowe producing Clockface or the sessions that lead to that, but I believe it was Nick who opted out, so he went with his new musical partner Sebastian Kyrs. Like many, I would love to see Elvis and Nick give it one last go but only if the feeling was there. They've already worked together on several classics. I'm ready for anything Elvis wants to do whenever he wants to do it.

 

So far (as of this post - Port Chester ended), they’ve played 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11 live on this tour. I’ve seen all except #6. I think it’s going to be a really good album based on what I’ve heard.

I almost forgot that “Farewell, OK” was the song he had up for 24 hours on New Years Day last year.

 

I still wait for ‘Last Year of My Youth’ to be officially released. Back to my candlelight vigil.

 

The Farfisa stabs really bring a smile to my face.

 

Some surprising bursts of lead guitar! Performance has got some tremendous energy! Sounds inspired, I like it.

 

Last three years have been a great time to be an EC fan.

 

Look Now was underwhelming at first, but it's a definite grower and I'd now say it's his best in decades. Hey Clockface is, well, still growing.

 

Interesting. So: Columbia -> Warner -> Universal -> Concord -> Now EMI (== Universal)?

I imagine 8-track and flexi-disc are jokes, but these days, who knows?

 

Agree with Look Now. I'm pretty convinced Clockface will still have a lot of room to grow after I'm dead.

BTW, Amazon has Look Now on vinyl for $16.98 shipped:

https://www.amazon.com/Look-Now-Elvis-Costello-Imposters/dp/B07FSRBCGL/

 

Sounds like classic Costello.

Amazing that after all these years he sounds the same as 1978!

 

+40

Though just a little before my time!

 

Am I the only one who get some „Pump It Up“ vibes?

 

I'd say Son of 'Pump it Up' and 'Tokyo Storm Warning'.....

 

I’m hearing the classic Costello sound too. I’d throw in a touch of Momofuku in there also. While that album is not one of my favorites ,Magnificent Hurt sounds like it wouldn’t be out of place there.

 

Magnificent Hurt sounds like a late Columbia era b side. Good energy but not a great song, and it could use some editing.