The American music critics' treatment of British bands that are relatively unknown stateside is pretty simple: call them Britpop, split the review with at least one other Britpop band and say they sound like a rip-off or the next coming of an established Britpop band.

In 2001, Elbow's Asleep in the Back fell prey to this formula. It was grouped with Super Furry Animals, Clinic and Ed Harcourt as the new wave of Radiohead-inspired bands.

Um, no.

The only sense I was ever able to make out of that comparison was the similarity in moods of Asleep in the Back and Radiohead's The Bends.

This time around, Elbow has the ill fortune of releasing its Cast of Thousands on the same day as Starsailor's Silence is Easy, a familiar album for anyone who has heard the band's bootlegs in the last year.

And now both bands are inexplicably being called clones of Coldplay by at least one critic.

Coldplay?

Really?

That band's best asset is Gwyneth Paltrow.

Anyway, I didn't read that review for fear that its lack of logic would cause an aneurysm. And, of course, I just didn't care what the critic had to say about Cast of Thousands.

From the first rhythmic alien beeps of "Ribcage," I was drawn into the Elbow Worldview, Part II.

This time, it's not all warnings and sadness and loss. This time, there's sunshine! And love! And getting "deep warm drunk" in "Snooks (Progress Report)" instead of the implied alcoholism of Asleep in the Back.

Cast of Thousands isn't all rainbows and butterflies, though. Elbow maintains its melancholy signature with dominant bass lines, staccato beats and Guy Garvey's baritone, all weaving in and out of each other. Also on board for select moments are members of fellow Britpop bands Alfie and Doves, a dramatic string section and the London Community Gospel Choir.

The most memorable cameo is in "Grace Under Pressure," when the song explodes into, "We still believe in love, so fuck you," sung by the audience at an Elbow concert in the English town of Glastonbury.

Love and its pitfalls are the overarching themes of Cast of Thousands, whether it's the difficulty of a long-distance relationship in the melodic "Fugitive Motel" or the upbeat flirtation of "Buttons and Zips."

The most subdued track on the album is "I've Got Your Number," a quiet, bare song in which Garvey whispers spiteful remarks to a lying ex-lover.

"Your lies are fluorescent, my baby-faced angel," he spits out, later joined by a growling guitar. It's the best breakup song I've heard in a long time.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind if Elbow became the next Radiohead.

Musically and creatively, the band has more than enough talent to be huge in the States — and I'd much rather hear Elbow on the radio than Coldplay.