This week's roots cds reviewed

ELVIS COSTELLO

Secret, Profane and Sugarcane Decca****

More than 30 years on from his classic spikey debut, Elvis Costello remains the same restless figure keen to challenge the expectations of a loyal audience by stretching his artistic muscle. This intriguing effort has been billed as his bluegrass album, but that's misleading. As he made clear in his Ticketinterview last week, Costello sees these 13 songs (including one cover) as EC songs played by an expert string band, and not bluegrass per se. The collection is further complicated (and, indeed, enriched) by the inclusion of four songs written for a commissioned opera based on Hans Christian Andersen's dark life. Costello's website provides illuminating notes on these and other songs. Having warmed to this album the more I heard it, it is clear it needs time. There are obvious strengths: expert musicianship; Jim Lauderdale's close harmonies; T Bone Burnett's subtle production. The songs, and Costello's reading of them, grow with repetition. www.elviscostello.com

Download tracks: I Felt the Chill, She Handed Me a Mirror, Crooked Line

MAGNOLIA SUMMER

Lines from the Frame UndertowRecords ****

I'm not one for strings attached, but everything has its place. Magnolia Summer (a new name to me, though this is the St Louis band's third album) lay on the strings bigtime on Diminished Returns, the second track from an album of shimmering, jangling excellence. And, boy, does it work, with great washes of sound building up around a memorable alt.country melody. It's just one of the many fine tracks on this collection, which stands tall in the tradition of The Jayhawks and even Wilco in places. The songs are all written by Chris Grabeu, who also handles the vocals and plays guitars. It's fair to say the lyrics are a tad abstract, though there are great hooks, choruses, harmonies, melodies and guitar breaks. In short, it's all an alt.country devotee could desire from an obscure album. www.magnoliasummer.com

Download tracks: Like Setting Suns, Diminished Returns, Lines from the Frame