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Nick Lowe
Nick The Knife
(Warner Bros.)
When the insurgent pub-rock movement inevitably gets rolling, the patron saint (or at least the court jester) will undoubtedly be Nick Lowe. Whether it’s through his band projects and solo efforts, establishing the vital Stiff Records, or aiding the likes of Elvis Costello, the Damned and Johnny Cash, Lowe’s brilliant pop sensibilities have left a large imprint on music on both sides of the Atlantic. With ex-Rumour guitarist Martin Belmont, Carlene Carter and Squeeze’s Paul Carrack (among others), Nick The Knife splits its time between foot-tapping rockers and achy love ballads. Charismatic, witty and as dry as an English martini, Lowe may in fact be a robber baron of old rockabilly and doo-wop tunes; however, he avoids merely rehashing his influences by stamping them with irresistible lyrics and a complete lack of reverence. A Top 40 hit in ‘82, “Stick It Where the Sun Don’t Shine” is still funny in a guilty pleasure kind of way, and its catchy guitar licks are downright impossible to shake. Rousers “Burning” and “Too Many Teardrops” continue in a similar vein, and both harken back to a day when rock was just plain fun. “My Heart Hurts” boasts the rhyming gem: “I wear a little smile / while swallowing the dirt / but underneath my shirt / my heart hurts,” with a nifty Hammond riff to boot. With a wink and a nod to many musical references, Nick the Knife comes to the party early and leaves wearing a lampshade. Mike Bümm |
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