Perhaps frustrated by the lack of commercial success
Imperial Bedroom encountered,
Elvis Costello enlisted British hitmakers
Clive Langer and
Alan Winstanley to produce its follow-up, Punch the Clock. The difference between the two records is immediately noticeable. Punch the Clock has a slick, glossy surface, complete with layered synthesizers, horns, studio effects, and the backup vocals of
Afrodiziak. The approach isn't necessarily a misguided one, since
Costello is as much a pop musician as he is a singer/songwriter and many of the best moments on the record -- "Everyday I Write the Book," "Let Them All Talk" -- work well as shiny pop singles. However, the problem with Punch the Clock is that
Costello is entering a fallow songwriting period; it is his least consistent set of original songs to date. The best moments, the antiwar ballad "Shipbuilding" and the eerie pseudo-rap "Pills and Soap," are as articulate and effective as any of his past work, but frequently
Costello falls short of meeting his standards, particularly when he's trying to write a song in the style of his older songs. Nevertheless, the sheen of the
Langer and
Winstanley production makes Punch the Clock a pleasurable listen.
Costello's uneven writing means that only portions of the album are memorable.