via//chicago

My Somewhat Complicated Relationship with Elbow

While I was poring over some construction documents at work this afternoon I found myself in a very familiar predicament, wondering what to listen to next. I scrolled through my iPod library and plenty of worthy candidates flashed in front of me, but my eyes kept returning to something that I didn't think I really wanted to hear - Elbow's Build A Rocket Boys. Wondering if this was some sort of sign, I went ahead and clicked play, even as I was being mightily tempted by that free Enslaved EP from a couple months ago. And, I really enjoyed hearing it again. A couple of the songs clicked a little more with me ("The River", "Jesus is a Rochdale Girl") and made me like the album just a bit more than I did yesterday.

Now, I can just bet you are wondering why I'm taking the time to describe a relatively rote reaction to a situation I must face quite frequently. Well, you see, as I was thinking about this Elbow album a little more, I realized just how symptomatic that particular encounter was of my entire relationship with the band. I like them, lots at times. I own all five of their studio albums, the last four of which I have purchased the week of release. I always enjoy listening to them when I put them on. But here's where the weird bit comes in. I don't find myself reaching for their albums often. In fact, I frequently catch myself passing them over as I scroll through my library because I'm "so not in the mood for THAT right now". I'm absolutely certain that I've listened to their albums less frequently than I have albums by artists I know, on the whole, I like a lot less than Elbow. I would never claim them as a "favorite band". I would never quite say that I "love" them. However, I also know that if I were to pull the trigger and fire up one of their albums, I wouldn't complain in the least and would, in time, find myself completely absorbed.

This may not seem particularly odd to some of you, but I find this to be a really weird relationship with a band that I've been following for nearly a decade now. One easy explanation may be that I have this relationship with Elbow because they aren't a particularly easy band to love. They don't often load their songs with hummable, or immediately memorable, hooks. It often takes multiple listens to be drawn in. Fair points each, but I listen to a hell of a lot of other artists guilty on both counts. And usually I'll either dismiss them out of hand, or find myself wrapped up and in love with the artist in question. I don't do that with Elbow though. I listen once, then file the record back on the shelf for later. I never feel like starting the album over again as soon as the last track fades to silence. I don't go through obsessive phases with them, even when they release a new album. But, why?

I'm afraid I don't have any easy answer here, behind thinking that Elbow have become the aural equivalent of comfort food. I don't often feel the urge to seek it out, but once I let it into my system I realize that I've kinda missed it. But once the meals over, I feel content and realize that I probably won't need it again. And, that's okay. Not all of the music I listen to needs to provoke a visceral reaction or kickstart an obsessive love affair. Its good to have a few bands lying around your collection that do little more than fill a particular slot. They aren't the bands you get passionate about, you might not put them on any mixtapes, they don't end up in the high slots on your year-end lists, but that doesn't mean they don't serve a very important purpose. I'm okay with my complicated Elbow relationship. I'm glad I have them around.

What bands do you feel this way about?