Elbow follow up their first act with a cast of thousands.

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“I think this album is a lot bolder, it’s probably a bit more extreme. We were probably safer on Asleep In The Back.” Bassist Pete Turner is talking about Elbow’s second album, Cast Of Thousands. “This time we experimented a bit more and we did things I don’t think we’d have done on Asleep In The Back.”

Cast Of Thousands is a grand album. It sounds full of confidence, from a band who know what they’re capable of, although apparently this was far from the case. “When we were recording Cast Of Thousands, we went though a period of real worry about whether it would stand up to Asleep In The Back. You’re constantly comparing the two,” Pete explains. “We did feel pressure but it didn’t come from anywhere other than the five of us.”

While retaining Elbow’s beautifully delicate and bruised vastness, the new album is certainly more upbeat than its predecessor. “Because it documents the last two years and it’s been a really good two years, it’s a much more positive album really,” says Pete. “We wanted it to be uplifting, we wanted it to have a celebratory feel.”

This one even includes the L-word. “We didn’t use it on the first one. I know that Guy wanted to save it really. It’s a strong word and he didn’t want to use it liberally when he didn’t really feel that… or wasn’t in a situation where he was aware of… love.”

The album title is quite literal. As well as including contributions from fellow Mancs, Alfie and Doves, plus The London Gospel Choir, there is also the Glastonbury crowd singing “We still believe in love, so f**k you”. “I love the fact that it’s on there,” reveals Pete. “I love hearing the sound that a crowd makes. It’s good that they were all up for doing it, they could have all said no. Although 50,000 people shouting “no!” would probably have been just as good.”

The “just try it” philosophy underpins the album. Producer Ben Hillier (Asleep In The Back, Think Tank) encouraged them to be creative with their use of sound. “On Ribcage you’ve got the ‘pre-tongue’ vocal which uses a contact mic. We stuck it to Guy’s neck covered him in towels and got him to sing it. So you get the signal but you don’t get any of the tongue,” explains Pete. “Some things work, some things don’t. We were making a shaker and instead of putting peas and beans in it, we thought ‘Why don’t we put in water?’ So we put water in it and shook it, and it sounded like someone having a w**k.”

Cast Of Thousands is an impressive album and certainly lives up to their Mercury-nominated debut. “With each album we want to raise the bar a bit, just for ourselves,” says Pete. “We want to keep going as long as possible and to make a better album each time we do one.” They may have set themselves an impossible task. Matt Walton 15 August 03

Elbow – Cast Of Thousands, released 18 August 03 on V2.

useful link: www.elbow.co.uk