Elvis Costello returned to
the Attractions as quickly as he abandoned them, hiring the band and old producer
Nick Lowe to record
Blood & Chocolate, his second record in the span of one year. Where
King of America was a stripped-down roots rock affair,
Blood & Chocolate is a return to the harder rock of
This Year's Model. Occasionally, there are hints of country and folk, but the majority of the album is straight-ahead rock & roll: the opener, "Uncomplicated," only has two chords. The main difference between the reunion and
the Attractions' earlier work is the tone --
This Year's Model was tense and out of control, whereas
Blood & Chocolate is controlled viciousness. "Tokyo Storm Warning," "I Hope You're Happy Now," and "I Want You" are the nastiest songs he has ever recorded, both lyrically and musically --
Costello snarls the lyrics and
the Attractions bash out the chords.
Blood & Chocolate doesn't retain that high level of energy throughout the record, however, and loses momentum toward the end of the album. Still, it's a lively and frequently compelling reunion, even if it is a rather mean-spirited one. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine