Elbow - "Jesus is a Rochdale Girl" and "Neat Little Rows"

I won't try to up my indie cred by pretending that I had heard of Elbow before they released The Seldom Keen Kid in 2008. I was a little too young to have done so but, like so many people, I feel in love with them. I went off ASAP and bought all of their albums and they are now, inarguably, one of my favourite bands.

Their forthcoming album Build a Rocket Boys! is one of the albums I'm most excited about for this year, and I've written a couple of posts over the past few months about the few things that they've revealed.

Well here, first of all is a live performance of their new song "Jesus is a Rochdale Girl" - apparently a highlight from the album, from the reviews I've read. It's as beautifully Elbow like as ever. The lyrics and vocals sound wise and sentimental, the rhythms soft and restrained, the broken piano parts punctuating gently every now and then with breath taking precision. Here it is:



Also, here's their lead single, "Neat Little Rows". It's Elbow at their anthemic best - thumping bass, a piano riff with the size and power of a whale riding a double decker bus through your bedroom wall and Guy Garvey belting it out as if his life depends on it. He has a stunning knack for combining his own words and common, every day turns of phrase - "neat little rows". The album's all about nostalgia for their youth and life at home, inspired by moving back into the parts of Manchester they grew up in. It bowls me over and make me grin to hear Guy asking for his bones to get laid down their "in cobblestones" or "in neat little rows", just like the houses back where he lives. One of the greatest living lyricists, without a doubt.



Also, click here to watch their appearance on this week's edition of The Culture Show. It runs from around the 18 minute mark to 24 minutes. Enjoy!