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The Delivery Man
by Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 71 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.4 out of 10
based on 21 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 12 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

Elvis has returned to the land of rock--or at least, country-flavored rock, as he's joined on several tracks by Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris. It's his second disc to feature (and first to credit) his new backing band, The Impostors, who look an awful lot like his former backing band, The Attractions, save for the addition of bassist Davey Faragher.

LABEL: Lost Highway
RELEASE DATE: 21 September 2004
DISCS: 1 disc
GENRE(S): Adult Alternative, Rock

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
Mojo
Songs terrific, band sensational, and -- big plus -- Costello's voice late-developing way beyond that pinched whine into an instrument of substance and character. [Oct 2004, p.97]
91
E! Online
Costello's most exciting album in ages.
Read Full Review
90
PopMatters
This is a classic Costello record... arguably his most cohesive, magnetic collection of songs since Blood & Chocolate and the highlight of his middle-age years.
Read Full Review
83
Entertainment Weekly
The album delivers, all right, if not all the time. [24 Sep 2004, p.105]
80
Billboard
Welcome, worthy and wonderful.
Read Full Review
80
Rolling Stone
Even the ballads... bristle with force. [28 Oct 2004, p.99]
80
The Guardian
He sets tales of sexual double dealing and domestic violence to a sound somewhere between the two albums he made in 1986: the Americana of King Of America meeting the over-amplified rawness of Blood and Chocolate.
Read Full Review
80
All Music Guide
It never feels as urgent as his prime work, but it's at once his most accomplished and visceral record as a veteran rocker.
Read Full Review
80
Blender
It's Costello at his most emotionally direct. [Oct 2004, p.118]
70
Dusted Magazine
It’s been ages since he’s sounded this self-assured, or this much at home.
Read Full Review
70
Stylus Magazine
Fortunately, the good songs outnumber the bad; unfortunately, the veteran Costello has made the rookie mistaking of frontloading the disc.
Read Full Review
70
Drawer B
The Delivery Man is a solid, albeit slightly over-learned and patronizing, collection of bluesy rock.
Read Full Review
70
Paste Magazine
Staggered between full-on rockers like "Needle Time," "There’s A Story In Your Voice", and "Bedlam," the softer material sounds excessively genteel.
Read Full Review
68
Pitchfork
Often, Costello just sounds prissy and uptight in these more relaxed environs.
Read Full Review
66
ShakingThrough.net
It convincingly exhibits the breadth of affection Costello has for homegrown American musical forms, but lacks a tight-enough center to stand among his sturdier, more disciplined works.
Read Full Review
60
The Onion (A.V. Club)
The Delivery Man only sparks to life when it slows down.
Read Full Review
60
Q Magazine
There's still heart and soul in that funny old voice. [Nov 2004, p.118]
60
Uncut
A strong and lusty country-punk album placing him in Tom Waits or Neil Young territory. [Nov 2004, p.104]
40
Playlouder
A collection of rehashed moments from his brilliant though patchy career, a sowed together patchwork of pastiche.
Read Full Review
40
Austin Chronicle
Ultimately, in no uncertain terms, this Elvis sounds like an impersonator.
Read Full Review
30
New York Magazine
[It] doesn’t help in pinpointing the moment Costello veered into self-parody, but it does catalogue nearly everything that’s become impossible to take about him.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this album is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 12 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Shawn J gave it a9:
There are a couple of tunes that put me to sleep, but I can't stop listening to the others.

Clara C gave it an8:
Listening to this album feels like returning to King of America, Blood & Chocolate -- even a little bit of Imperial Bedroom. I don't love every cut, but mostly I've been seduced by Elvis' voice, songwriting and especially lyrics, in a way that I haven't been since those classics came out.

Joey M gave it a 9:
The last Costello album that I enjoyed as much as this one was "Painted from Memory," his collaboration with Bacharach. I have enjoyed his work the most in the last two decades when he has focused on pushing his own limits. I felt that the last couple of turns with the Attractations were forced "returns to form" with a couple of good songs and I didn't much care for "North" at all. This collection, on the other hand, has some of his finest lyrics, bravest musical turns and sharpest delivery in recent memory. Well worth a listen!

Dan F gave it an 8:
I find the brash, noisy stuff suits his talents less than the ballad stuff, like "Nothing Clings like Ivy," which is the strongest song on the album for me.

dazzer w gave it a 9:
Awesome! Sone of the recent reviews defy belief

Rob S. gave it an 8:
I'll be listening to this one for a few weeks at least. There are some very, very nice performances of strong songs here - not just from EC, but Emmylou Harris has got a better song to sing in "Heart Shaped Bruise" than anything on her last album. The highlight of the album is another duet, "There's A Story In Your Voice" with Lucinda Williams. I can't believe how good he sounds in tandem with Lu doing that drunken/spastic vocal thing she occasionally lets loose on her own albums. It's cool and funny and one of those songs I keep playing over and over. "Either Side of the Same Town" and "Country Darkness" are other highlights for me. On the whole, the songwriting on The Delivery Man is much freer and less affected than on When I Was Cruel. And I thought North was dreadful, both the songwriting and his singing. I'm pleased with EC's rebound here.

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