The Boy Named If
The Boy Named If | ||||
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Studio album by Elvis Costello and The Imposters | ||||
Released | 14 January 2022 | |||
Recorded | 2021 | |||
Genre |
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Length | 51:58 | |||
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Producer |
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Elvis Costello and The Imposters chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Boy Named If | ||||
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The Boy Named If is the 32nd studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello and The Imposters. The album was released on 14 January 2022 by EMI Records and Capitol Records.[2][3]
The Boy Named If received critical acclaim and was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.[4]
Content
The album's first single, "Magnificent Hurt" was released on October 27, 2021. Stereogum's Tom Breihan described the track as a "a straight-up rocker" and compared it to his late 70s work.[5]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 83/100[6] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
American Songwriter | [7] |
Classic Rock | [8] |
Paste | 7.8/10[9] |
Pitchfork | 7.5/10[10] |
Slant Magazine | [11] |
The Boy Named If received positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 83, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 14 reviews.[6] Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that The Boy Named If was Costello's "purest doses of rock and roll since maybe Blood & Chocolate (1986)".[1]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Elvis Costello
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Farewell, OK" | 2:54 |
2. | "The Boy Named If" | 4:24 |
3. | "Penelope Halfpenny" | 2:57 |
4. | "The Difference" | 3:45 |
5. | "What If I Can't Give You Anything But Love?" | 4:03 |
6. | "Paint the Red Rose Blue" | 4:46 |
7. | "Mistook Me for a Friend" | 4:13 |
8. | "My Most Beautiful Mistake" | 4:47 |
9. | "Magnificent Hurt" | 3:13 |
10. | "The Man You Love to Hate" | 4:53 |
11. | "The Death of Magic Thinking" | 3:31 |
12. | "Trick Out the Truth" | 4:53 |
13. | "Mr. Crescent" | 3:39 |
Total length: | 51:58 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
14. | "Truth Drug" | 1:41 |
Total length: | 53:45 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Elvis Costello – vocals, guitar (all tracks); piano (6)
- Davey Faragher – additional vocals, bass (all tracks); upright bass (12)
- Pete Thomas – drums, percussion
- Steve Nieve – keyboards, piano
- Sebastian Krys – background vocals (3, 4)
- Nicole Atkins – vocals (8)
Technical
- Elvis Costello – production
- Sebastian Krys – production, mixing, engineering
- Brian Lucey – mastering
- Daniel Galindo – engineering
- Ron Taylor – engineering
- Dex Green – recording (8)
Charts
Chart (2022) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[13] | 47 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] | 20 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[15] | 149 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] | 41 |
Irish Albums (IRMA)[17] | 55 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[18] | 1 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] | 15 |
UK Albums (OCC)[20] | 6 |
US Billboard 200[21] | 200 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[22] | 34 |
References
- ^ a b c "Elvis Costello, Elvis Costello & the Imposters - the Boy Named if Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ^ "The Boy Named If by Elvis Costello & The Imposters". Music.apple.com. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ Althea Legaspi (27 October 2021). "Elvis Costello & the Imposters Preview 'The Boy Named If' LP With New Song". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ Lee, Taila (15 November 2022). "2023 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Complete Nominees List". Grammys.com. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (27 October 2021). "Elvis Costello and the Imposters 'Magnificent Hurt'". Stereogum. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
- ^ a b "Elvis Costello & the Imposters - The Boy Named If". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ "Review: With His New Album, Elvis Reemerges as Classic Costello". American Songwriter. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ^ "Elvis Costello & The Imposters continue winning streak with The Boy Named If". Classic Rock. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ "Elvis Costello and The Imposters Show Their Fangs on Fiery Return to Form The Boy Named If". Paste. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ Soto, Alfred (19 January 2022). "Elvis Costello / The Imposters: The Boy Named If Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
- ^ "Elvis Costello The Boy Named If Review: An Adrenaline-Fueled Picture of Fleeting Youth". Slant Magazine. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ "ザ・ボーイ・ネームド・イフ [SHM-CD]" (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Elvis Costello & the Imposters – The Boy Named If" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Elvis Costello & the Imposters – The Boy Named If" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Elvis Costello & the Imposters – The Boy Named If" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Elvis Costello & The Imposters – The Boy Named If" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
- ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 21 January 2022". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Elvis Costello & the Imposters – The Boy Named If". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
- ^ "Elvis Costello Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- ^ "Elvis Costello Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
External links
- The Boy Named If at Discogs (list of releases)
- v
- t
- e
- The Imposters: Steve Nieve
- Pete Thomas
- Davey Faragher
- The Attractions: Steve Nieve
- Pete Thomas
- Bruce Thomas
- My Aim Is True
- This Year's Model
- Armed Forces
- Get Happy!!
- Trust
- Almost Blue
- Imperial Bedroom
- Punch the Clock
- Goodbye Cruel World
- King of America
- Blood & Chocolate
- Spike
- Mighty Like a Rose
- The Juliet Letters
- Brutal Youth
- Kojak Variety
- All This Useless Beauty
- Painted from Memory
- When I Was Cruel
- North
- Il Sogno
- The Delivery Man
- The River in Reverse
- Momofuku
- Secret, Profane & Sugarcane
- National Ransom
- Wise Up Ghost
- Look Now
- Hey Clockface
- The Boy Named If
- Live at the El Mocambo
- Deep Dead Blue
- Costello & Nieve
- My Flame Burns Blue
- Live at Hollywood High
- Taking Liberties
- Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers
- The Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions
- The Man
- Out of Our Idiot
- Girls Girls Girls
- 2½ Years
- The Very Best of Elvis Costello and The Attractions 1977–86
- Extreme Honey
- Costello Album (bootleg)
- The Very Best of Elvis Costello
- Cruel Smile
- The Best of Elvis Costello: The First 10 Years
- The Songs of Bacharach & Costello
- "Less Than Zero"
- "Alison"
- "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes"
- "Watching the Detectives"
- "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea"
- "Pump It Up"
- "This Year's Girl"
- "Radio Radio"
- "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding"
- "Oliver's Army"
- "Accidents Will Happen"
- "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down"
- "High Fidelity"
- "New Amsterdam"
- "Clubland"
- "From a Whisper to a Scream"
- "Watch Your Step"
- "A Good Year for the Roses"
- "Sweet Dreams"
- "You Little Fool"
- "Man Out of Time"
- "Everyday I Write the Book"
- "The Only Flame in Town"
- "Green Shirt"
- "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"
- "I Want You"
- "Blue Chair"
- "Veronica"
- "The Other Side of Summer"
- "Sulky Girl"
- "13 Steps Lead Down"
- "London's Brilliant Parade"
- "The Other End of the Telescope"
- "You Bowed Down"
- "She"
- "45"
- "Brilliant Mistake"
- "Complicated Shadows"
- "Welcome to the Working Week"
- "Lipstick Vogue"
- "Senior Service"
- "Stranger in the House"
- "Girls Talk"
- "Riot Act"
- "New Lace Sleeves"
- "Beyond Belief"
- "Almost Blue"
- "Shipbuilding"
- "Indoor Fireworks"
- "Jack of All Parades"
- "Suit of Lights"
- "I Hope You're Happy Now"
- "Next Time Round"
- Terror & Magnificence
- The Sweetest Punch
- For the Stars
- Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes
- The Resurrection of Rust
- G.B.H.
- Jake's Progress