or better or worse, we here at Stylus, in all of our autocratic consumer-crit greed, are slaves to timeliness. A record over six months old is often discarded, deemed too old for publication, a relic in the internet age. That's why each week at Stylus, one writer takes a look at an album with the benefit of time. Whether it has been unjustly ignored, unfairly lauded, or misunderstood in some fundamental way, we aim with On Second Thought to provide a fresh look at albums that need it.

In 1982 Elvis Costello was growing tired of the sound most associated with himself and the Attractions. He saw a connection between his music and the flashy style-over-substance groups, such as Duran Duran, that were gaining popularity at that time. In response, he ditched Nick Lowe in favor of Geoff Emerick, who had engineered Sgt. Pepper and Revolver for the Beatles. Lowe is notorious as a one-take producer, intent on capturing what a band has to offer, instead of “producing” them. Emerick would presumably add his own touch.

Imperial Bedroom is a rich, textured pop album, a natural continuation of Trust after the detour of Almost Blue. Costello flirts with various styles here, but it’s more contained than Trust, which spanned R&B to C&W and beyond. Imperial Bedroom stays in the realm of pop music but draws from influences that range from Cole Porter to pop revivalists such as Marhsall Crenshaw. Bill Janovitz, of the Allmusic Guide, equates “Beyond Belief”, the first track, to “Visions of Johanna” or “Cyprus Avenue”, but what strikes me as the album’s key track is “Tears Before Bedtime”, a lyrically-dark song which revolves around a shifting, playful organ line. “Almost Blue” is the biggest step Costello takes on this album. The tune could’ve been written for Johnny Hartman or Chet Baker, who later went on to perform it. It’s one of the strongest songs on the album. It has a haunting quality that had never been present in Costello’s work. It also demonstrates Costello’s ability to add his own flare to a genre he is able to perfectly mimic. “...And In Every Home” reveals Costello’s frustration with the music business and his nascent stardom. “Loved Ones” begins the second side with an introduction reminiscent of The Clash’s “London Calling.” Emerick has compressed the Attractions’ backing and moved Costello’s vocals to the forefront, much like many of the mid-60s pop albums on the Philips label. Costello’s vocals have drastically improved- he sounded strained on Almost Blue, but here he moves effortlessly between the different vocal styles the songs require.

Many critics consider Imperial Bedroom to be Costello at his best. While it is a delicate, artfully crafted album, it lacks some of the personality and originality of his first four records. It’s too delicate and too artful, Costello is best when there’s a hint of dangerous energy to his songwriting genius. The album is impossible to dislike- it’s filled with great melodies and great lyrics, but something is still missing.