Elvis Costello's greatest quality is his unerring ability to shift sonic directions like he's changing from a thrift store overcoat to a Saville Row dinner jacket without compromising his artistic vision or his core creative philosophy. 'National Ransom' comes just two years after the Jenny Lewis-inspired racket on the patently excellent 'Momofuku' and a year after the mesmerizing 'Secret, Profane & Sugarcane.'  

Elvis Costello's career has spanned across four decades and probably quadruple that many genres. His latest project is an acoustic Bluegrass/Country-tinged album, 'Secret, Profane and Sugarcane,' which — to absolutely no one's surprise — is another fantastic piece of work. Cut in Nashville with T Bone Burnett in just three days, EC is joined by an all-star team of Bluegrass and Country players, including Jerry Douglas and Stuart Duncan.