The New Oldies: #7 Album of the Year 2022: Elvis Costello & the Imposters – The Boy Named If

Something seems to be missing these days. It seems that record companies, radio stations, and streaming services are pushing some the great established musicians to the background. As a result these veteran artists are not getting the attention they deserve. Enter the Top 10 Album Countdown: The New Oldies. The main point is simple – to make this list you must have at least 20 years of producing established music. The album by the artist must have been released between November 1st, 2021 and October 31st, 2022.

#7 Elvis Costello & the Imposters – The Boy Named If

Historically when it comes to the New Oldies list, we see many artists land on the list after being in a creative slump or an extended hiatus. Not such the case with Elvis Costello. Now 69 years old, Elvis seems to be showing no signs of slowing down since beating Prostate Cancer. In addition, he now lands on the New Oldies list for the third consecutive year with his backing band the Imposters with the album, The Boy Named If.

The two previous albums by Elvis that have landed on The New Oldies list have been Hey Clockface and La Face de Pendule à Coucou. Both of these albums saw Costello being the innovator, incorporating different styles (Hey Clockface) or a French interpretation (La Face de Pendule à Coucou) With The Boy Named If, while the innovation wasn’t completely lost, it is very much was a throwback album to Costello’s hey-hey in the 1970s and 1980s.

There a nice amount of tracks that I can see becoming many new favorites of Elvis Costello fans including: Farewell OK and Penelope Halfpenny. Elvis really shines on the ballad Paint the Red Rose Blue. The title track has a haunting quality to it, yet still very much has a vintage Elvis Costello feel. Finally, if you are looking for the next great Halloween song, check out Trick Out the Truth.

Finally, sometimes it takes a little while to get hooked on an album. Not so much the case with this album. If you love Elvis Costello, you will love this album. If you are not a Costello fan, this album will surprise you.