Being that "This Year's Model" was Elvis Costello's first album with his backing band, "The Attractions", the music was bound to sound a little different. It does, and it's shockingly good. Costello is just as angry and bitter here as he was in the magnificent "My Aim Is True", and though the songs reek with spite, they are wonderful.

Here, Costello proves himself again as one of the best songwriters of his generation -- his lyrics are drenched in clever wordplay, delightful puns and delicious irony. They're all disguised amongst the catchy tunes and brilliant arrangements that he has created.

And, behold, there's not a single track that serves as useless filler. Each one is a gem, and from beginning to end, this is an album that'll have you caught in Costello's cynical world -- you might even want to stay there.

As mentioned above, there aren't any songs that don't serve a purpose here, but some particularly brilliant ones include "This Year's Girl", "(I Don't Want… more »

Being that "This Year's Model" was Elvis Costello's first album with his backing band, "The Attractions", the music was bound to sound a little different. It does, and it's shockingly good. Costello is just as angry and bitter here as he was in the magnificent "My Aim Is True", and though the songs reek with spite, they are wonderful.

Here, Costello proves himself again as one of the best songwriters of his generation -- his lyrics are drenched in clever wordplay, delightful puns and delicious irony. They're all disguised amongst the catchy tunes and brilliant arrangements that he has created.

And, behold, there's not a single track that serves as useless filler. Each one is a gem, and from beginning to end, this is an album that'll have you caught in Costello's cynical world -- you might even want to stay there.

As mentioned above, there aren't any songs that don't serve a purpose here, but some particularly brilliant ones include "This Year's Girl", "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea", "The Beat", "Pump It Up" and "Radio, Radio".

Do yourself a favour and invest in this magnificent piece of work. It's the sort of album that makes you wish every album held such significance and consistent quality throughout.