Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Punch The Clock (1983/2015) [Official Digital Download 24-bit/192kHz]

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Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Punch The Clock (1983/2015) [Official Digital Download 24-bit/192kHz]

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Elvis Costello and The Attractions - Punch The Clock (1983/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/192 kHz | Time - 45:31 minutes | 1,9 GB
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/96 kHz | Time - 45:31 minutes | 1,01 GB
Studio Master, Official Digital Download | Artwork: Front cover

Perhaps frustrated by the lack of commercial success Imperial Bedroom encountered, Elvis Costello enlisted British hitmakers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley to produce its follow-up, Punch the Clock. The difference between the two records is immediately noticeable. Punch the Clock has a slick, glossy surface, complete with layered synthesizers, horns, studio effects, and the backup vocals of Afrodiziak. The approach isn't necessarily a misguided one, since Costello is as much a pop musician as he is a singer/songwriter and many of the best moments on the record – "Everyday I Write the Book," "Let Them All Talk" – work well as shiny pop singles. However, the problem with Punch the Clock is that Costello is entering a fallow songwriting period; it is his least consistent set of original songs to date. The best moments, the antiwar ballad "Shipbuilding" and the eerie pseudo-rap "Pills and Soap," are as articulate and effective as any of his past work, but frequently Costello falls short of meeting his standards, particularly when he's trying to write a song in the style of his older songs. Nevertheless, the sheen of the Langer and Winstanley production makes Punch the Clock a pleasurable listen. Costello's uneven writing means that only portions of the album are memorable.