Top tracks:
Jesus Is a Rochdale Girl
Lippy Kids
The River
With Love

Elbow with the previous, 'The Seldom Seen Kid' from 2008, made it to the top in Europe, but the quintet remains stubbornly go his own way.

Thus flourishes opener 'The Birds' (eight minutes, and not a second too long) after five minutes in all his orchestral beauty, the long run is remarkably quiet mastered, giving you the control to the right throws. At the end of the plate gives the song a short reprise, sung, no, grumbled by one John Moseley.

A Elbow-song is not complete without choir, and so does The Halle Youth Choir arranged vocal support like in the closing "Dear Friends" good to Elbow tradition unforgettable envoi - a few times and may even show up prominently.

There arise some highlights from it: 'The River', with also uses only a dilapidated piano, based on the contrast between the vacillating Garvey and comforting chorus, and "With Love", that swings like Elbow rarely swings: as Manchester Gospel does not exists, is hereby invented the genre.

But unfortunately one less number: it has something to temerige "Open Arms".

As 'The River' is 'Jesus Is a Rochdale Girl' all frills stripped, a whisper, a bass drum, an acoustic guitar and a stray keyboard enough to become one of the most moving songs from it all with golden edges deposited Elbow-songbook.

The angular songs that without an Elbow-plate nor complete (see also 'Grounds for Divo Rice' on 'The Seldom Seen Kid "and" Snooks (Progress Report) "to" Cast of Thousands ") are the blue mutant' Neat Little Rows' and it - despite strings and a gentle piano melody - coarse grained "High Ideals.

You can get your ears open, and yet they warm your soul.

Build a rocket, boys, to blow up the people who thought it would be a good idea to release this!

Nice album. Can't stand 'With Love'. I don't really get that song but apart from that some amazing songs on the album. Huge anthems such as 'Open Arms' which is a brilliant song. Other ones to watch are Lippy Kids and High Ideals. Can't compete with Seldom Seen Kid but a good album overall

Doesn't compare to The Seldom Seen Kid, but has it's own unique sound and quality.
Apart from The Birds, the album has a very cosy, nostalgic tone - which for Lippy Kids and Dear Friends is all very good, but it dips in the middle with some more forgettable tracks.
Regardless, the whole album feels like a complete piece of work and great achievement. Everytime I hear the final horns on Dear Friends, I get a small shiver.
This album captures something magical, which few albums of 2011 managed.

The order of the track-listing is built up the same way as Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band: The second-last song is a reprise of the opener.

I feel like this is very true to what an album should be. It is holistic, but has some weak points. It deals with getting old and memories of a younger time, but I don't think that means they should do the same song, but with an old man for their "reprise" - I get it, but not well executed in my opinion. All are solid and well put together, except birds reprise.

Lippy kids and Neat little rows were very good. The overall sound of this album is pleasant. Sounds like they were focussed on one type of sound but that doesn't mean it is a repetitive album.