With bonus materials on the way, a turn with King of America seemed appropriate. Any excuse to listen to Elvis Costello, really. His prolific sense of work during this period, where the shine of his punk rebellion had worn off and been replaced by a search for reinvention, sparked a series of brilliant moments. From the Nick Lowe-produced Blood and Chocolate which follows The Costello Show to the heartbreaks of Punch the Clock just three years before King of America, the efforts found in this, where Costello dubs himself the ruler of a land he was not from, is the tongue-in-cheek style expected of the man. This is a genre exploration piece and what a treat it is with T Bone Turnett in the studio, guiding these mainly acoustic pieces. Opener Brilliant Mistake, like many of the songs in this, is dependent on Costello’s voice as a stable core.
This is not an earnest Costello on the cover. He has walked the boulevard of broken dreams as he puts it on his opening track. King of America is more a feature of his lyrical brilliance than anything else. There is an openness in this unshielded showcase of biting and emotionally charged lyrics. No electric guitars to hide behind, not a sliver of dependence on what were the staples of his sound at the time. Much of this can be heard on Shipbuilding a few years prior but still felt its way through the Merseyside beat which had shaped the outlook Costello had. King of America is focused on the titular country and the domination Costello had there at the time. This is the clean break Costello had needed and while it may bring simpler pieces like Lovable, these are the wanted joys of this new sound. And yet the instrumental warmth and ultra-specific choices made on follow-up track Our Little Angel are where the whole point and focus of this album can be found.
King of America grows into an oft-forgotten part of the Costello classics – cover songs. Here it is Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, a scraping and throaty performance of an incredible song. These all feel like moments filtered by an outsider – a man trying to understand the reality of his dream destination. His obsession with America is well-documented and his embedding into the culture is a welcome layer to King of America which still feels for the controversies and collective spirit of the country. Country roots, blues rock and all the flickers of what made the first wave of music in the States so extraordinary. Costello has a grasp of it all not just through his keen instrumental understanding but because his love is genuine. It, in turn, sounds remarkably consistent. There are moments where his rise to the throne of America goes unquestioned.
From the wonderful twangs of Glitter Gulch to the overall feel of a man desperate for musical reinvention, King of America has it all. He is hungry for some new sound and the spirit of a much-loved country guides him through. Costello still sees himself as an outsider. Such is the charm of King of America. Lyrically dense efforts which may alienate on a first listen soon shine on a return or two. I’ll Wear It Proudly has, like Costello at the time of writing and even now, such a defiance coursing through it. Therein lies the joy of this album, and what proved so controversial at the time is now its greatest strength. He may not be the king of America but Costello certainly proved he was versatile. The core of his frustrations was that very trouble and, to that end, one of his finest achievements. His hyper-specific details of a time falling in love with one country and its people (and out with another where his fortunes were less ripe) is a tremendous testament to Costello’s writing quality, which takes centre-stage here.
