Honesty is a virtue some artists neglect once they find commercial success, as many are content to slap the word “love” onto a song title and call it a day. When Coldplay moaned about loneliness and heartbreak on their 2005 album X&Y, their lyrical sincerity was questioned, as everyone knew Chris Martin was banging Gwyneth Paltrow on the regular. Once Elbow finally found commercial success with their spectacular The Seldom Seen Kid, some worried that the British quintet would dump the poetry and musical dynamics for financial security; but not to worry, as the truth remains the band’s most vital currency.

Like each preceding Elbow LP, the opening tracks of Build A Rocket Boys! are fantastic. The entirety of “The Birds” is a lyrical odyssey, a romantic masterpiece of youthful nostalgia coupled by a massive attack of thumps and an overwhelming chorus. “Lippy Kids” never raises its tempo above a steady waltz, possessing a melody of dips and swells while backed by a minimal arrangement of choral beauty. Oh, and “With Love”! What a fun, cheeky testament to a gently illicit affair, fuelling daydreams over the one person you always wished you could hold hands with.

But after “Neat Little Rows” steps into the ring, with its monotonous BANG-BANG piano, the band must’ve decided to take a cat nap, since the album is overcome by a narcoleptic spell. Of course, no one goes into an Elbow album expecting a catalog of Guns & Roses-type anthems, but the aggression of songs like “Grounds for Divorce” and “Mexican Standoff” is missed now that success has finally tided in the band’s favor and eliminated much of the group’s frustrations. Jazzier sounds leap high on “High Ideals”, whose slow trumpet funk tries to break the lethargy. The radio friendly “Open Arms” is the final attempt to liven things up, and it desperately wants to be the next “One Day Like This”, but ends up becoming a futile effort.

Now content with fruits of their labor, Elbow has pushed beyond their pain and now stand on stronger emotional ground than ever before. “We’ve got open arms for broken hearts” belts Guy Garvey in “Open Arms”, echoing the album’s overarching sentiment of healing those around you. The punctures have been repaired, the fugitive motels long forgotten, and their always-wonderful lyrics reflect this change, even if the songs themselves twiddle their thumbs a bit much. Elbow remain genuine and devoted to emotional truth, album sales and single charts be damned.

Track List:

1. The Birds
2. Lippy Kids
3. With Love
4. Neat Little Rows
5. Jesus is a Rochdale Girl
6. The Night Will Always Win
7. High Ideals
8. The River
9. Open Arms
10. The Birds (Reprise)
11. Dear Friends