Elbow’s Lover’s Leap: 2000s Brit Pop Pioneers Continue to Evolve and Inspire

You ever have a band you love, but then just fall off of their music? That’s my history with Elbow. I loved their early stuff and followed them for a few records and just lost track of the band. Well, I was surprised to see a new track from them getting traction and even more surprised to see that they have been putting out music for the last few years. However, after listening to Lover’s Leap I might have to jump back in.

Elbow have always been a brooding band with the track Some Riot being a heartbreaking masterpiece. Lover’s Leap has that same emotionally deep and personal DNA, but with a warmer Radiohead-esque sound. You are greeted with some horns and warm syth that devolves into a warm and lush syth vibe complete with some vocal post effects. The chorus jumps back up with the same horns, which gives the track great pace. The hook is great and even adds hand claps, which is always a win in my book. There is also a great rocky bridge that adds some drama to the overall track followed with a psychedelic ending that brings everything home.

The key to the track is Guy Garvey who gives the track this deeply emotional and personal vibe. The track itself is about how he is dying and wants to be thrown off Lover’s Leap at the end of his life in order to be reunited with his lost love. Like many of Garvey’s tracks Lover’s Leap has this beautiful darkness about it as he sings about mortality, love, spirituality and connection. I love his vocal on this track and it really carries me through the song.

Elbow has been the furthest thing from my mind in the past few years, so itis great to have this track in my life. Lover’s Leap is the lead single off their upcoming record Audio Vertigo and it has me really excited to see what else they have in store.

Listen to Lover’s Leap