It comes after ‘Little Fictions’ released in 2017 which reached No. 1 in the UK. Guy Garvey, lead singer and lyricist of Elbow told NME: “A lot about this record is different… we changed the way we worked and we all decided from the off to let the songs take the lead, without compromising the vision of each tune.” Garvey added: “At times, it’s a bleak record, but it has a huge, if bruised, heart. It was a pleasure to make and we are all immensely proud of it.”
Listening to the album I am struck by how different each track is from another. I’ll normally listen to an album and be able to sense a really clear style that allows listeners to understand what emotive path the artist may be currently on. Giant of All Sizes has instead given me a wonderfully random mix. Country guitar with echoing vocal harmonies takes centre stage in ‘On Deronda Road’ and a psychedelic bass crossed with a relatively unremarkable voice attached in ‘Dexter and Sinister.’ They have definitely succeeded in including a vast array of experimental sounds in a single song, but whether this is a successful attempt of of this rather than an attempt to throw two years’ worth of ideas into a 9 track album, I am not sure.
The most prominent track for me is ‘The Delayed 3:15’ which tells the story of a stranger’s undocumented suicide. It was the most raw piece with a strumming guitar all the way through; it may have been the least technical song but proves that Elbow doesn’t need to show off to broadcast their talent.
Overall, Elbow has clearly put a lot of effort into making their comeback album but whether it will make it into No.1 like their 2017 hit – well, I guess that’s up to you!
3/5