Elbow

Elbow has a long track record as an indie rock band who has been consistently creating elegant music that lies somewhere in the land that stretches between the adventurous outings of Radiohead on one side, and perhaps the adult alternative streak of Sting and Peter Gabriel on the other. The latter is clearly a big influence on vocalist Guy Garvey's style in the way he carries his raspy, breathy voice and his cadence. There was a touch of trip-hop in their initial couple of albums when they first came out in 2001's Asleep in the Back, which has since then receded in favor of the more straight and expansive feel that the band's mostly stable line up delivers with remarkable musicianship. It is patient music that never rushes things, creates its own space in the listener's mind and tends to linger there for a while. Garvey's lyrics add further poetic quality to that sound.