Elbow: Leaders Of The Free World

The world is a gloomy place these days, and Elbow's latest, Leaders Of The Free World, does nothing to change that fact. Originally released in the U.K. in 2005 and reaching the U.S. in early 2006, Leaders Of The Free World, is a loose collection of songs dealing with the state of the world in which we live. World leaders are blamed for the mess that is the modern world, so are media outlets (the ones that don't tell the truth, that is).

The centerpiece of the album is the title track, a not so subtle attack on the Bush dynasty and its wars in the Middle East. Also in the crosshairs are those who favor Patriotism over patriotism (if you don't know the difference then you voted for Dubya, twice). Though the targets are well chosen, the aim is slightly off. Everybody already knows that the president has "shit for brains", and saying it in a song doesn't make it any more true.

Leaders Of The Free World failed to hold my attention past the midway point, but the first half compares favorably with anything Elbow has done. Station Approach starts like a lamb and finishes like a lion in an earthquake, Picky Bastard has its wonderful melody plucked out on a violin and Forget Myself almost sounds like a lost Clinic gem (although it's twice as long as any Clinic song). Beyond that, only Mexican Standoff, sounding like it came from Elbow's previous album Cast Of Thousands, stands out. Leaders Of The Free World isn't a bad album; it has its heart in the right place, but it's a weak heart.

posted by philipfry @ 9:18 PM