★★★★☆

There’s a captivating whimsy present across the new release from Elbow.

The British alt-rockers have been hard at work producing their seventh album Little Fictions –their first without long-time drummer Richard Jupp – and the results embrace a more minimal aesthetic, yet still retain Guy Garvey’s songwriting mastery. It’s an addition to their discography that celebrates the doldrums of life in a way that fans will more than delight in.

On the whole, Little Fictions is a wonderful collection of serenades. ‘Magnificent (She Says)’ contains lyrics that just make you melt: Garvey croons lines like “This is where the echoes swell to nothing on the tide” in a poignant track that sees a thick Mancunian accent carry over a captivating melody, moving with a certain grace from the major to minor key. It’s certainly the album’s standout track, but even with the heavier and more upbeat ‘All Disco’ and ‘Gentle Storm’, Elbow harbour a particular manipulation of instrumentation and rhythm alongside Garvey’s wonderfully simple poetry.

Little Fictions has the ability to embrace you with a warmth that will make you feel small and content, yet it can still overwhelm you with its emotionally rich tone and the economy of its composition.

Elbow’sLittle Fictionsis available now through Polydor/Universal.

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