New York, NY (Top40 Charts) As they lead the charge for this week's Number 1 spot in the UK (set to be their third consecutive U.K Number 1 album), British band elbow has announced they will be returning to North
America in January 2020 for a handful of west coast dates in California. Starting on January 18, they will be kicking things off at the House of Blues in San
Diego then making stops at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, Fox Theatre in Oakland and The Observatory in
Santa Ana. Local pre-sales start Thursday, October 17 at 10AM PT. General on-sale starts Friday, October 18 at 10AM PT. For more information, go to: www.elbow.co.uk
Last Friday, elbow released their eighth studio album 'Giants Of All Sizes' (Polydor/The
Verve Label Group). NPR who spoke to lead-man and lyricist Guy Garvey on All Things Considered recently, this remarkable full-length continues to hold the Manchester four-piece well and truly at the top of their game and dear in the hearts of fans all over the world.
'Giants of All Sizes' was recorded at Hamburg's Clouds Hill Studio, The Dairy in Brixton, 604 Studios in Vancouver and Blueprint Studios in Salford, with additional recording taking place at various band member's home studios in Manchester. Lead singer and lyricist Guy Garvey describes the album as "an angry, old blue lament which finds its salvation in family, friends, the band and new life." It is a record that lyrically takes in moments of deep personal loss whilst reflecting its times by confronting head-on, the specters of injustice and division not just in the UK but across the world. It is a record that could only have been made in the 21st Century.
Given such bleak, if ultimately redeemed subject matter, it is also perversely the most relaxed record which elbow have made in some time. On 'Giants Of All Sizes' each band member extended their usual process of working on demos alone and followed their vision to its conclusion rather than, as
Craig Potter puts it, 'taking the edges off things to find compromise'. In tandem with this, they returned to playing live in the studio, encouraged to experiment with the banks of analogue equipment at Clouds Hill in Northern Germany, giving songs a looser, more live feel.
The result is the most starkly dynamic record from the band in recent times, "sonically unabashed", as Guy would have it. Whilst album closer 'Weightless' has the gossamer melodies and communal harmonies for which the band have latterly been known, this album echoes earlier elbow work at times whilst also breaking new ground.
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
01/18 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
01/19 - The Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA
01/20 - Fox Theatre - Oakland, CA
01/21 - The Observatory -
Santa Ana, CA
