Elbow

Beloved by John Cale, Michael Stipe and most of England, Elbow hits Paris. The band is often compared to Coldplay, but Chris Martin’s songwriting is the lyrical equivalent of the euro currency—transferable in any country. Elbow frontman Guy Garvey, on the other hand, makes no attempt to play down his Northern accent and sing of what he sees. Sometimes, the detail is parochial and kitchen-sinky. But more often than not, his lyrics glide into the universal. Recalling a teenage tumble in a field on new album Build a Rocket Boys!, he thinks of the birds: “Do they keep those final kisses/In their tiny, racing hearts?” Expect to be thoroughly exhilarated.