Elbow are a fairly recent revelation for me personally. When they came through KCRW's performance studio a couple years ago in support of their Mercury Prize winning The Seldom Seen Kid, they impressed us all with their folksy demeanor and exceeding talent. It felt like we were transported to their living room in Manchester, England for some home spun storytelling and song. With that same sort of magnetism, Elbow's fifth studio album, Build A Rocket Boys! is another brilliant stroke. An album in the truest sense, this collection plays as a series of imaginative vignettes imbued with sweeping grandeur. Lead singer Guy Garvey spins intoxicating tales of youthful innocence, driven by the emotive power of the music. Elbow has enjoyed much critical acclaim in England, and songs like "The Birds" and "Lippy Kids" put their talents in sharp focus. There is a languid, dreamlike quality to most of the record that will keep you fixated like a good book you can't put down.

-- Jason Bentley, KCRW DJ and Host of Morning Becomes Eclectic

Build A Rocket Boys! will be available to stream on demand from April 4 through May 3, 2011. The album will be released on Tuesday, April 12, 2011.

 From the KCRW Archives

Elbow

 
Artist website: http://www.elbow.co.uk
 
Track listing
1. Lippy Kids
2. The Birds
3. With Love
4. Neat Little Rows
5. Jesus Is A Rochdale Girl
6. The Night Will Always Win
7. High Ideals
8. The River
9. Open Arms
10. The Birds (Reprise)
11. Dear Friends