Considering what a critics darling&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/King-of-America/dp/B000OHZJMS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">King of America</a>&nbsp;wound up becomming Elvis Costello rebounded with the Attractions and original producer Nick Lowe for this album. This is not only very different from the previous album but very different from the last two albums with the Attractions before this. The best I can describe it is as something of a mid 80's updated mixture of the jerky new wave rhythms of his late 70's albums and some of the more carefully crafted pop/rock styled music of the early 80's. Taken individually the songs on this album are all highly melodic,tend towards the upbeat musically and have particularly biting and scatching lyrics even by Elvis Costello standards. One of the great things about Costello is his ability to express emotions such as betrayal,irritation and even anger without resorting to childish simplifications or witless cynicism. Much as John Lennon before him (perhaps even to a further degree) Costello can take a negative subject and intellectualize it to such an extent it pretty much becomes a more positive thought or,at least a more setttled one anyway. "Uncomplicated" opens the album with a harsh,agitated melody and guitar sound whereas "I Hope Your Happy Now","Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head" and even the conveniently possitioned "I Want You" all possess the rolling drums,jangly guitars and melodicism of mid 60's Beatles,part of the classic Attractions sound as it was. Later in the album you hear more elaboratly constructed songs such as the darkly textured "Battered Old Bird" and "Poor Napoleon",named after the alias he'd taken for this albums release. As with the previous album,even though this is more based in modern pop music than that had  been this album is still somewhat atypical of much of pop music of it's time. Because it in many ways anticipates the decades to come this album holds up a lot better in todays environment where with the exception of maybe REM at this point this may have seemed a bit different from most of what was commercially popular. It winds up a solid Elvis Costello/Attractions album regardless and is one of the finer releases from any period.