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Kindred spirits Elvis Costello and T Bone Burnett have been working together for a very, very long time. Most famously, Burnett co-produced Costello’s King Of America, a classic album that’s about to get a deluxe reissue. Even before that, though, the two joined forces on “The People’s Limousine,” a 1985 single that they released as the Coward Brothers. The two remain plenty busy today. This past spring, Burnett released The Other Side, his first solo album in 18 years. Now, the two of them have resurrected the Coward Brothers, and they’ve made a new album and a scripted comedy podcast.
The whole Coward Brothers concept is based on the idea of Elvis Costello and T Bone Burnett as Henry and Howard Coward, a trans-Atlantic pair of con men who may or may not be blood relatives. Their new 20-song self-titled album comes out next month, and it delves into the old-time rock ‘n’ roll that Costello and Burnett love so much. They’ve shared the opening song “Always,” which sets gorgeous harmonies to spare, echoing guitars and strings. Even on streaming services, Henry and Howard Coward are officially listed as the song’s writers and producers.
As for the podcast, it looks to be a big deal. Elvis Costello wrote the series, and comedy legend Christopher Guest directed it. Costello and Burnett star alongside Harry Shearer of The Simpsons, Rhea Seehorn of Better Call Saul, and character-actor great Stephen Root. The show is exclusive to the podcast platform Audible, and it comes out the same day as the album. Below, check out “Always” and the album’s tracklist.
TRACKLIST:
01 “Always”
02 “Like Licorice”
03 “My Baby Just Squeals (You Heel)”
04 “The Devil’s Wife”
05 “Tipsy Woman”
06 “My Baby Just Purrs (You’re Mine, Not Hers)”
07 “My Baby Just Whistles (Here Come The Missiles)”
08 “World Serious”
09 “Early Shirley”
10 “Yesteryear Is Near”
11 “Birkenhead Girl”
12 “Smoke Ring Angel”
13 “Wooden Woman”
14 “(I Don’t Want Your) Lyndon Johnson”
15 “Lotta Money”
16 “Pure Bubblegum”
17 “Cathy Come Home”
18 “Bygones”
19 “Row Me Once”
20 “Clown Around Town”
The Coward Brothers is out 11/21 on New West, and the Audible podcast The True Story of The Coward Brothers arrives on the same day.
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