New Elvis Costello song, ‘No Flag’
First track from the ‘Helsinki sessions’ made available
Elvis Costello has issued a new song called No Flag.
The track was recorded in Finland back in February, as Costello worked for three days at Suomenlinnan Studio, a recording facility not far from downtown Helsinki.
The 65-year-old musician explained that he “wanted to go somewhere nobody knew me. So, this is ‘The Helsinki Sound.’”
Elvis is credited as the sole instrumentalist: “Mouth, Drum, Fender Jazzmaster, Hammond Organ and Bass.”
There’s no word of an album (Costello’s last was 2018’s excellent Look Now) although he does tell us via his website to “look out for the next instalment of this story on July 10th” which suggests we may get another track from this brief Helsinki session next month.
No physical product is available, as Costello pithily remarks that ‘No Flag’ is available via Concord Records “by electrical wire.”
Listen to the song below and leave a comment and let us know what you think!
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[…] in Helsinki, Paris and New York and mixed in Los Angeles. The album features the songs ‘No Flag’, ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’ and ‘We Are All Cowards […]
very good indeed. could have been released in 1978!
some vinyl release would be nice please………
Wow! Finland was the right choice. The Elvis we know and love – caustic, acerbic, toe tapping.
It’s like listening to the early Elvis stuff.Hes still pumping out great songs.Hes still got it !
Great stuff, as usual. Here’s hoping for an album’s worth of material to follow up the sublime ‘Look Now’.
As an aside, does anyone know what is happening with his back catalogue? There was an excellent series of 2 disc reissues by Rhino about twenty years ago (!) which covered all his albums up to 1996, which were subsequently deleted before I got around to buying them all; and then further 2 disc deluxes of the first two albums and then….nothing. Although you can get single disc versions of all his albums, without extras, his rich, varied and never dull body of work really deserves the full SDE treatment!
Oh, I like this a lot! And, yes, I’m hoping that it gets a physical release over all formats.
Love the song but it should be a physical release. Maybe when the entire release gets put out.
No God for the damn that I don’t give..
The quintessential punk poet still got it.
Superb! Nothing like angry Elvis to keep the blood pumping.
Jazzmaster sounding great. I like this. It sounds fresh, not easy to do after 40 + years.
His usual standard, sounds totally on form. Look forward to hearing more
I went to Suomellina last year and must have walked past this studio without knowing it existed. Beautiful island/fortress.
I was only hoping a couple of days ago that some new material was on the way and here it is! Really like it. Bold and beefy.
That’s a monster.
The man is on form. Superb!
Brilliant! More, more more and in a physical format for God’s sake, this is too good to stay virtualised!!!