Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid

This is a hell of an album - majestic, finely-wrought, lucid, emotive. At various times they sound like any number of their brit contemporaries, but there's something kind of stately, ornate maybe, about their songs and production which makes them distinctive; it's also noteworthy that every song on The Seldom Seen Kid is strong, built around clear melodies which often go in unexpected directions and decorated with details that become integral to the whole. Best, or at least current favourite, songs: "The Bones of You", "Mirrorball", "Grounds for Divorce".