Elbow consistently release albums every 3 years, so I wasn't expecting to hear anything from them so soon after 2017's excellent Little Fictions. The band have sped up pace with this one, rolling out the first single and opening track, Dexter & Sinister, in August, with the album dropping last month. I'm glad I've waited to talk about it, as it feels quite different from past releases. Elbow Albums generally feel like a warm hug (except their debut), whereas this one is much colder and world-weary. If Little Fictions is about finding peace of mind in friends and family despite all of the world's troubles, Giants of All Sizes gets caught up in the ongoing chaos of Brexit, the Grenfell tragedy, and the deaths of loved ones and strangers alike.
Musically, the album also leans into Elbow's proggier side far more often than any of their preceding records. Dexter & Sinister opens the record with weird electronic glitching before moving into a chunky guitar riff for a large part of the 6 minute tune. In the middle there's a piano solo and the song finishes with an extended coda that features a very OK Computer-esque descending guitar line with angelic vocals from Jessica Hoop. Empires is built around echoy and cavernous percussion, with no real break in Guy Garvey's vocals for any sort of musical breathing room. This creates a suffocating atmosphere to the track which reflects the lyrical content, detailing Garvey's grief after his father's passing.
The Delayed 3:15 is a track about a fellow who jumped on the tracks in-front of a train Guy was on. It's a hauntingly beautiful tune, where Garvey first details how run-down and neglected this area of train and asks why he chose there as opposed to a much more beautiful portion 'just a mile down the line', then going on to discuss the 'First-class tuts' who don't seem to care about this man, only that their journey is delayed. He finishes talking about how the man didn't make the news and how he couldn't find out who he was before a slightly discordant outro of woodwind and strings, as a sort of regretful send-off to this man.
Seven Veils is equally beautiful. It has a soft and pillowy atmosphere, and features some bittersweet imagery. The song appears to be about letting go of someone, and includes such phrases as 'I let you saw me in two / because that's what illusionists do', 'There's no roses in this garden / no sun melting in the sea' and the main hook of the chorus, 'Take your seven veils and sail the seven seas'.
Doldrums provides a delirious and kind of psychedelic melody, with faded and disembodied background vocals. This really fits a song, that from what I can tell, is about Theresa May's somewhat ridiculous term as Prime Minister. 'Staring down busses protected by God' is a lyric which really amuses me, it captures the feeling of her inevitable demise. White Noise White Heat also delves into the current UK situation, specifically Guy Garvey's loss of hope and belief in himself as an actual force of good, all framed around the Grenfell Tower fire. This is also the most direct song on the record, with crunchy guitars and an anthemic chorus.
The tail end of the record does bring back some optimism, with the last two tracks having a hopeful message. On Deronda Road is an ode to Garvey's new family home in South London. The track is probably one of Elbow's most daring, built around this glitchy Radiohead-esque beat, with rough choral vocals from the band plus The Plumadores. The Closer, the aptly titled Weightless, is a light, airy tune about Garvey's newborn son. The little guitar noodles and the chiming piano riff bring the album to the real sense of optimism that Elbow are known for.
I'm glad I've let this album sink in, because I really didn't know how to feel about it when it first released. I could see the band's usual high quality, but it wasn't making me feel the way an Elbow album usually does. Now I can say that while it's not my favourite from the band, it is a distinct and memorable addition to their discography.
Top Tracks: Dexter & Sinister, Seven Veils, Empires, The Delayed 3:15, White Noise White Heat, Doldrums
8/10
