Most artists benefit from attempts at accessibility, but Elvis Costello seems most likeable when he's out to please himself. Instead of trying for hit singles, the way Punch the Clock or Goodbye Cruel World did, Blood & Chocolate busies itself in the singer's own private world of politics and passion. There's no mistaking Costello's feelings here — his singing swings from a reflective purr to an angry roar with admirable ease — but because his wordplay has become more convoluted than ever, it's often been difficult to follow his argument. Still, between the intensity of his ideas and the power of playing, Blood & Chocolate is his most satisfying offering in years.