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Complicated Shadows
Folk · 2009

Complicated Shadows

A dusty, Americana-drenched reimagining of a Costello classic, trading new wave bite for the weathered grit of a Southern Gothic campfire tale.

April 28, 2009 · Hear Music

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This isn't the jagged, organ-fueled Costello of the 1970s; this is the man as a traveling troubadour, cloaked in the shadows of the American South. Produced by T Bone Burnett, the track breathes with an organic, woody resonance that feels deeply lived-in. It sounds like a piece of found footage from a Depression-era radio broadcast, yet the songwriting remains unmistakably sharp and modern. The acoustic arrangement strips away the artifice, leaving only the raw, skeletal remains of a narrative about guilt and consequence.

Moments Worth Listening For
The way the upright bass thumps like a nervous heartbeat against the sparse acoustic strumming.
Costello's voice cracking slightly on the lower register during the bridge, emphasizing the song's weary wisdom.
The sudden, sharp entry of the fiddle that cuts through the dusty atmosphere like a flash of lightning.
Reviews

How does Complicated Shadows sound next to the rest of Elvis Costello's catalogue?

Dusk+2.6σ

Dusk saturates this record far more than the artist's norm.

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