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The Irish Times , Sept.18 2003
(review section , P.10)
The CD cover shows Elvis Costello walking along a
rain-soaked cobblestone street , rain coat flapping at
his knees , looking decidedly morose and surly. The CD
title double-jobs as a pun , then (it`s grim up North
, etc.) , but the music is far from sullen; indeed ,
if anything , it`s Costello`s most joyous record in a
long time. The musical template is down-beat , the
terrain very much song-orientated , the
instrumentation veering from eloquent , elegaic jazz
tones to pop-inflected string arranged tunes. If you
think more along the lines of Costello`s collaborative
work with Burt Bacharach and The Brodsky Quartet than
anything else he`s done ( although long-term fans
might recognise slight thematic similarities with Shot
With His Own Gun , from 1981`s Trust) , then you`ll
have some idea of the sterling work on display here.
Initially concerned with late-night musings on the
resigned nature of love lost ( You Left Me In The
Dark) , North soon becomes more indelibly ingrained
with love found (Still , Let Me Tell You About Her) ,
resulting in an assuredly focused and warm-hearted
record.
Tony Clayton-Lea