Elvis Costello’s collaboration with The Roots was borne out of occasional meetings via Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, where The Roots are the house band and Costello has made appearances as musical guest and living legend. Costello’s reggae-influenced sensibilities and The Roots’ vibrant, multi-instrumentalist hip hop sounds are an unsurprisingly good match; however, despite the blend of ideas, the end result is more Costello than Roots, and is not always as invigorating as one might have hoped. Nonetheless, Wise Up Ghost is a solid effort with some great songs that provide vibrant, exciting moments from musicians who you can tell are having a whale of a time playing together.
Album opener and lead single, ‘Walk Us Uptown’, establishes the dominant sound on the album – hip hop grooves and snappy, dusty drum beats with brass-instrument accents and melodic bass. But front and centre is Costello’s distinctive, whining voice and exaggerated vibrato. Costello sneers his way through this track, exploring familiar Costello themes of disdain for the status quo and those that would support it. Also familiar is the sharp reggae guitar and the crackly vinyl effect on Costello’s voice. ‘Walk Us Uptown’ is repetitive but engaging, and similar to a number of other tracks on the album.
‘Tripwire’ gives us a different vibe; while still anti-establishment, the low-key delivery and gentle, defeated anger of the vocals really grew on me over repeat listens. Costello stays in the alto register for title track, ‘Wise Up Ghost’, providing an anchor for the increasingly dramatic instrumentation. ‘Viceroy’s Row’ was by far my pick of the album, with its sparse but snappy hip hop beat and close, jazzy backing vocals. Costello again keeps his vocals low-key, yet they really shine, sounding strong and rich against the solid beat and frenetic, melodic bass. On ‘Refuse to be Saved’, Costello almost sounds like he’s rapping, keeping a low monotone with a rapid-fire delivery of vitriolic lyrics.
Wise Up Ghost is a cool album full of dry sounds and fiery ideas. It may take a few listens to rise above its own low-key nature in the ears of listeners, while a few tracks are simply too overwrought to be taken seriously. But I would welcome further collaborations from these artists; I think the longer they work together, the more they will create a new sound that fully utilises and complements the skills and swagger of all involved.
7/10
Reviewer: Frances Bulley