Best album I've heard so far this year.

Always loved them, but this is gonna be enormous for them. Beautiful, uplifting, epic, textured and edgy.

Anyone else heard it?

A masterpiece of an album. Will surely go down as one of, if not the album of this decade. Should propel them into the big time like OK Computer did for Radiohead.

Haven't heard it yet but hopefully it will be great. The single "Grounds for divorce" is a rip-roaring enjoyable stomp.

2008 is shaping to be a good year for music with British Sea Power & Hot Chip both putting out great records. Doves & R.E.M are also due albums this year

I hope they get big, I love them.

Off to see them in Manchester in a months time, can't wait. Seen them a few times already and they are so enjoyable.

Gonna bump this to see if we can get a few more replies and a bit more interest.
OK it's not Leona or The Spice Girls, but IT IS the finest, stunning, most gorgeous album released in ages.

If you like your music with a bit of craft and intelligence then this is for you.


Surely out of the hundreds of thousands of posters on here a few more must appreciate Britain's finest band.

If not- I despair

Well, I like Leona and Elbow... where does that put me?!

I'm not quite as excited by them as some on here, but I stumbled across their MySpace last week and think they have some really good songs.

Never been taken much by them before but I really like the new single. I'm very tempted to buy this album, as the reviews I've seen are all excellent.

Of their three previous albums, I can't seem to pick a favourite. HMV posted me The Seldom Seen Kid on Tuesday but it still hasn't arrived

I've got all of Elbow's albums and I think they are destined to be one of those bands that will always remain critically acclaimed but unlikely to break into the big league.......they're just not commercial enough........

Perhaps if they could produce a 'whopper' like Coldplay's 'Yellow' or Snow Patrol's 'Run' then that may change, but personally I wouldn't like them to do something so blatant.

I've only played this album twice so far so it's too early for critical appraisal, but early signs are highly promising indeed. My only criticism of some of their earlier material is that there is a fine line between delicate masterpiece and meandering dullness, which they've fallen the wrong side of on the occasional track or two......

There's a thousand times more emotion in say "Powder Blue", "Ribcage" or "Switching Off" than anything Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Keane etc have ever written.

I just love the blast of brass in the opening track - this great whoomph of sound, and then gorgeous understatement - Majestic.

Stunning album... one that needs taking in, and multiple plays of the whole piece to fully appreciate every last drop.

... and those whoomph's scare the crap out of you on the first listen

*ooh, nice and quite, I'll turn it up a little.... #WHHHHOOOOOMPPPP# ....... WHAT WAS THAT! *

Damn fine album

I agree with this. Their music is always emotive, usually beautiful, but not always terribly interesting or varied enough for my liking. The first 4 tracks on this album are excellent imo because they are more creative and lively than usual but for most of the rest of the album they slip back into their tried and tested comfort zone. A bit of a shame really if you're looking for something more or a little different from them like I was.

Still a good album but there have been better this year already imo. A surprisingly good start to 2008 with lots of good stuff around....not that you'd know it from looking at this forum .

I listened to it in the car whilst on the M1 and I thought it was excellent, so good that I played it again driving home the next day - helped with my stressful journey.

I'm well impressed and so looking forward to 13 April at Manchester Academy.

lol.... I know - did the same as you - my speakers nearly blew up!

The Seldom Seen Kid entered the album chart at 5 today, all things considered a pretty respectable showing

Yeh - don't know if I'd prefer it to remain an underappreciated gem though....

Love Elbow, need to give this a proper listen today, have only played it once so far!

(HMV rubbish at the mo, I am still waiting for a CD that was sent out last Mon!)

Well it finally got here and it was worth the wait. I've listented through it in entirety twice now, and already I think it will be one of those albums that reveals more and more with each listen. I think tomorrow I shall have an Elbow-fest of all four albums in chronological order to try and place it in the wider scheme of things

Hotel Istanbul from the Grounds for Divorce single is pretty good as well

As always you really need to give them a good listen. I thought Audience With The Pope was crap at first, them on repeat mode, but a few more listens and it's maybe my favourite! The only track I still think is anything less than excellent is Tower Crane Driver, but even that's saved by the parts where the beat stops and the guitar and Doves-like effects come in.

I never thought anything would beat Cast of Thousands, and perhaps nothing ever will (!) but this is easily their second best work, which isn't remotely a bad thing!

Any fans of Elbow might want to check out a new forum for the band, as there isn't one on their website.

http://elbow.heavenforum.com/

Finally got the album, I like it. The singles are fantastic (One Day Like This especially, one of the most romantic and uplifting songs I think I've ever heard) and The Fix is brilliant. Still undecided about the rest - at the moment I'm listening to Some Riot and am enjoying it.