Thank God - after last year's gooey tribute to his new wife, North, it seems that Elvis Costello is finally ready to rock again. The Delivery Man contains his best set of songs for over a decade - although, with graphic lyrics about adultery and domestic violence, we should probably hope they're not autobiographical. And with his old backing band the Attractions on board (now re-named the Imposters), this cracking album feels like a trawl through the best bits of Costello's formidable back catalogue. There's echoes of the alt-country of Almost Blue, the soulfulness of Get Happy and, best of all, the punchy songwriting of This Year's Model. Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams pop up to lend the proceedings a touch of class, although Elvis is in such good form that their presence is hardly needed. Quite simply, a triumph.
