Elvis Costello’s “The Boy Named If” arrives next Friday, the first single appears today. “Farewell, OK” is the lead off track on what I think is a 4 star album. What makes this all so exciting is that Costello’s “Look Now,” which won a Grammy two years ago, isn’t very old and there was a very good album in between “(“Hey Clockface”).
But “The Boy Named If” is like an explosion of pop rock talent that you’d expect from a 22 year old, not a 67 year old with a 25 year career. The songs aren’t just catchy or wildly well produced, they’re keepers. The band, the Imposters, is at its zenith. (This is the kind of album you want to put in your car and drive to constantly. It also sounds amazing off a phone with great headphones.)
The remaining FM rock stations don’t want to play new music by older artists. But every classic rock station in the country should play “Farewell OK.” They might get some ratings.
