El Magnifico

Album review

Ed Harcourt is both lover and fighter on 2024's El Magnifico, an album that finds him returning to his trademark lyrical and moody chamber pop following a series of instrumental albums. The British singer/songwriter has spent much of his time since 2016's Furnaces shining a light on his arranging prowess with albums like 2018's Beyond the End and 2020's orchestral-leaning Monochrome to Colour. He also branched out into collaborative studio projects, working behind the scenes with artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Paloma Faith, and the Afghan Whigs, whose Greg Dulli guests here, dueting on "Broken Keys." This side career as a pop collaborator seems to speak to Harcourt's popularity and respect amongst other musicians, underlining his reputation as a musician's musician. Such is the vibe of El Magnifico, which nicely balances the poetic lyrics Harcourt is known for with his knack for crafting intoxicating pop anthems. There's a literate, bookish quality to many of these songs, as on the haunting "Ghost Ship," in which he evokes a sense of sad loneliness, singing, "You remind me of the Mary Celeste/So resigned to your wretchedness." This could also be said of the self-deprecating title track, where he eviscerates his own sad-bastard rock persona with historical precedent, revealing that he traced his genetic lineage back to the Vikings ("I'm descended from those thugs") before admitting, "You see a windmill on the hill/I see a monster I can kill." The album reveals Harcourt as a reluctant poet, still surprised at his own ability to be wrecked by life. On "Strange Beauty," he sings, "What should I do with this happiness/That's cracking open my chest." The song also references boxer Cassius Clay (better known as Muhammed Ali), whose iconic, dancerly style works as a potent metaphor for Harcourt's own pugilistic battle for happiness. Bob and weave as he might, Harcourt never fails to land an emotional punch on El Magnifico.

© Matt Collar /TiVo