Momofuku
It’s no coincidence that Elvis Costello’s 2008 album was named after the inventor of instant noodles. Written, recorded, and released quickly, *Momofuku* is direct and no-nonsense, cutting to the heart of fatherhood on the touching “My Three Sons” and channeling The Beatles and The Kinks on the ’60s-style shuffle “Mr. Feathers.” Jenny Lewis adds sassy vocals throughout, most notably on the live feel of soul-pop stomper “Go Away.”
Long before he was an actual rock 'n' roll elder statesman, Elvis Costello acted like one, seeking out the company of oldsters like Paul McCartney and Burt Bacharach and pursuing "serious," high-falutin' projects outside his popular wheelhouse. For Momofuku, Costello's first rock record in four years, the venerated…
Originally Momofuku was going to be released only on vinyl and digital download, an expression of Elvis Costello's frustration with the State of the Record Industry in 2008, but those plans soon changed, turning the album into a standard release yet not removing a sense of confusion surrounding its sudden appearance, as it arrived just after Costello publicly swore off ever recording again (or performing in the U.K., but that's another matter for another time).
<p>An album informed by noodles? <strong>Graeme Thomson</strong> tells us not to worry: this is Elvis at his best</p>