Welcome to Switched On Pop.

I'm Musicologist Nate Sloan.

Elvis Costello burst onto the music scene in 1977 with the album My Ain't Is True.

It sounds like Allison established him as a powerful new voice in rock.

His next album, This Year's Model, featured hits like Pump It Up which continues to resound

through stadiums and arenas across the country.

From then on he released album after album decade after decade becoming a force to be reckoned

with in pop music.

As a kid, his angular melodies and hyper literate lyrics were in constant rotation in my household

and his sounds shaped my own musical sensibilities in a profound way.

Now Elvis has released his 30-second studio album The Boy Named If and it's a kaleidoscopic

journey through so many of the sounds and styles that he's experimented with over the years.

The album's title track showcases a slow burning tension.

And on Paint the Red Rose Blue Costello reveals one of his most moving ballads.

There's also plenty of references to classic rock and roll here as on The Death of Magic

Thinking which seems to channel the classic Bow Didly Beat.

If Costello's band The Imposter sounds like a well seasoned unit on this track, that's

because they've been playing together for decades.

Steve Neve, an organ, Davey Farragor on bass and Pete Thomas on drums, powering through

the entirety of this most recent release.

I spoke with Elvis Costello about his wrong notes and gap tooth attitude.

Olivia Rodrigo and the anxiety of influence, why he turned down Adele and how to confront

...