There ain’t nobody like Elvis but Elvis. And I don’t mean Presley.

Elvis Costello is a singular figure in the history of pop music, encapsulating the purest forms of aloof cool, punk sneering, and pop songcraft.

But knowing him mostly as a new wave icon, I was surprised to hear that one of his most highly regarded albums is a piece of orchestral chamber pop.

While I have all the respect in the world for him, I haven’t dug too deep into his deep and varied catalog. I absolutely love Armed Forces and have dabbled in some of his 2000s-era country-tinged work, but that’s about it. So when I listened to Imperial Bedroom completely blind, I was taken aback by its lush pop classicism—especially when I saw that this is the fourth album he released since Armed Forces, which was only released three years earlier.

Costello had always crooned like Sinatra, so it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. And while there’s plenty of overt new wave, courtesy of The Attractions, it’s played alongside intricate chamber pop that would make Brian Wilson a little jealous. Much of this is credit to longtime Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick, who lends Costello & Co. the same sonic detailing as the Fab Four.

The pattering “Beyond Belief” doesn’t stray too far from Costello’s usual palette. It’s the closest thing to Costello’s rock and roll on the album, but it’s soft-handed, never bursting into the rock and roll song that it seems to promise.

The rest of the album stretches the palette much further. “Tears Before Bedtime” bobs with a reggae beat and whistling Farfisa leads. “The Long Honeymoon” borrows an accordion from the French riviera. “…And In Every Home” borrows a full orchestra from The White Album. “Boy With A Problem” riffs on doowop with a heaping helping of additional melodrama. “You Little Fool” is almost completely straightforward, save for the harpsichord bouncing beneath the changes.

The most stunning here though is the heartfelt “Man Out Of Time,” a melancholy ballad bookended by punk guitar scrapings and Costello’s shrieking voice.

There’s a lot to unpack in this album—the few cursory listens I’ve given it so far are nowhere near enough to peel back the layers and  layers of composition and songwriting. This is an Important Album, with a capital I. A. A masterful work by two of the best in the game (Emerick gets just as much credit as Costello). I’ll be working to decode it in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I’m just enjoying the ride.