For those who haven't noticed, stripped-down, acoustically based music has made quite a comeback of late — specifically that of the Appalachian variety. And from John Mellencamp's Life Death Love And Freedom to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Grammy-sweeping smash Raising Sand, producer T-Bone Burnett has been right there at the center of most of it.

So it's little surprise then that Elvis Costello recruited Burnett to produce his most recent attempt at what amounts to a stripped-down country record.

It's not Costello's first try at this either, nor is it his first time working with Burnett, who also produced his albums King Of America (which had many of the same elements found here) and Spike (which didn't). Costello's very first stab at making this type of album actually goes all the way back to 1981's Almost Blue, an album of covers by people like George Jones, which is mostly best left forgotten.

On Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, Costello fares much better, although casual EC fans should be forewarned. This isn't My Aim Is True, Armed Forces, or Imperial Bedroom. The truth is, this is probably a lot closer to being a cross between King Of America and (fortunately, to a lesser extent) Almost Blue. And yes, there is a bit of what I would call "filler" here.

Fortunately, however, what's good here ("My All Time Doll," "Sulphur To Sugarcane") is so good that it's more than enough to erase the taste of the occasional (well okay, maybe not so occasional) artistic indulgence.

Mostly, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane is a bit of an acquired taste — and will be even for some of those fans who've long since become accustomed to Costello's penchant for vanity projects. The only non-acoustic instrument even heard here is the occasional electric guitar flourish from Burnett — and those flourishes are mostly very tasty, I might add.

But for those willing to stick it out, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane is for the most part a record which proves ultimately satisfying. Recorded over a three day period in — where else? — Nashville, the album was inspired in part by The Secret Songs, Costello's still to be completed work for the Royal Danish Opera about the life of Hans Christian Andersen.

Some of those songs show up here, although in arrangements far closer to the Tennessee backwoods than to any European opera house. There are also songwriting collaborations with Loretta Lynn ("I Felt The Chill Before The Winter Came") and with Emmylou Harris (who sings backup on "The Crooked Line").

Article Author: Glen Boyd

You'll find Blogcritics assistant music editor Glen Boyd sharing his Thoughtmares on his personal blogs The World Wide Glen, and The Rockologist. In a previous life, Glen was a music professional and journalist whose work has appeared in The Rocket, SPIN, Pulse!, and The Source. …

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