Elbow是来自曼彻斯特的英伦乐队，五人组合，被视为21世纪英式摇磙音乐新血轮，蕴含Prog-Rock/Sad-Core等音调，Elbow趁著气势尚存之际推出第三张专辑《Leaders Of The Free World》，在一片复古回归风潮中，Elbow静谧沉稳的气氛中融合优雅自然韵味，没有过于华丽的铺张、没有喧嚣刺耳的声响，勾勒色彩丰富并烘托精彩不凡的音乐架构，层次分明气势渐开的首场曲＜Station Approach＞、再到飚悍流畅旋律线条以及淡淡异国风味编入之＜Forget Myself＞，都证实Elbow最为诚恳真实的音乐表现；然而平稳简单的吉他音线勾出的＜The Stops＞，却在结尾留下天外飞来一笔的即兴演出；末曲＜Puncture Repair＞，虽然只有简单钢琴伴奏，短短1分48秒钟，却留下最美丽的极短篇乐章、引人入胜的优雅风格以及细密的音乐组织力！
Injecting a wider range of emotions into their music than most of their guitar-based peers in England, Elbow referred to themselves as "prog without the solos" without winking. The members of the band — vocalist Guy Garvey, drummer Richard Jupp, organist Craig Potter, guitarist Mark Potter, and bassist Pete Turner — met in the early '90s at college in Bury. Moving a little south to Manchester proper, the band went through a couple of developmental stages before settling on its sound, playing gigs locally and attracting the interest of Island, which signed the band in 1998. Dropped within a year, Elbow then linked with EMI and were dumped by them in a couple months. However, Elbow landed on Manchester independent Uglyman, which released two of their EPs (Newborn and Any Day Now). The acclaimed EPs gained the band a contract with V2, which released 2001's equally tipped Asleep in the Back. The record was short-listed as a nominee for 2001's Mercury Prize and was issued in the States in early 2002. Cast of Thousands, which appeared in 2004, was a strong follow-up. Leaders of the Free World, inspired by political events and behavior in the media, was released in fall 2005. The Seldom Seen Kid followed in 2008.