Since I first heard the opening drum beat of “Any Day Now,” the opening track on Elbow's debut album Asleep In the Back in 2001, I have been a fan. The band's brilliance is undeniable, though I have not connected with everything they have released over the past twenty years, particularly their last two albums, with Giants Of All Sizes standing out as a low point for me.
Flying Dream 1, Elbow's ninth studio album, changes that course. It leans into quiet reflection, built around some of the most delicate and tender songs the band has ever recorded.
Space has always been central to Elbow's music. Guy Garvey has cited bands like Talk Talk and The Blue Nile as influences, especially for the way they used space. On Flying Dream 1, recorded in an empty Theatre Royal in Brighton, the band has never used it more effectively. Garvey's voice and lyrics, along with each of his bandmates’ instruments, seem to float in a sea of openness. The result is beautifully rendered, drawing attention to every detail across ten majestic songs.
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