Cast of Thousands

Elbow: Guy Garvey (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, harmonica, synthesizer, percussion, sound effects); Mark Potter (acoustic & electric guitars, background vocals); Craig Potter (piano, organ, synthesizer, background vocals); Pete Turner (synthesizer, bass, background vocals).
Additional personnel includes: Stephen Hussey, Catherine Browning, Everton Nelson, Maya Bickel (violin); Ian Burdge, Chris Worsey (cello); Daniel Newell, Toby Coles (cornet); Alison Balsom (trumpet); Sam Morris (French horn); Simon J. Cowen (trombone); Becky Smith (euphonium); Richard Balson (tuba); The London Community Gospel Choir (background vocals).
As is often the case with even the biggest UK rock bands (who seldom do as well in the States), Elbow put out their second album, CAST OF THOUSANDS, in the US several months after its European release. Those American fans who were patient enough to wait (and even those who weren't) will be delighted to find that it contains two additional songs and an entire bonus disc of videos for most of the tunes on the album. The dreamier, more prog-rock aspects of the band's sound have been toned down a bit from the debut, but there's still plenty of artfully arranged, atmospheric murk draping the songs. The overall feel is something like prime Peter Gabriel getting into a drunken brawl with OK COMPUTER-era Radiohead in a dark London alley. Thick layers of guitars and keyboards occasionally reach near-anthemic heights but are sagely undercut by smartly crafted left turns in the production and the weather-beaten wistfulness of Guy Garvey's vocals. There's nothing here to indicate that the success of Elbow's debut went to their heads, and everything to suggest that their musical vision remains delightfully in flux.