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It’s true that good music can take you back to a certain time and place. Nick Lowe’s album, The ConvincerImage may be NSFW.
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, brings back the autumn of 2001 in Munich for me; an unsettling time that became slightly more settled whenever I put this CD on.
Released in Europe in the first week of September 2001, the album snuck up on me and was purchased on a whim one evening after work in a music shop somewhere near the Marienplatz. I often departed the S-Bahn at the Marienplatz to stroll through the Viktualienmarkt before making the short walk home to Kanalstrasse for the evening. It was on one of those jaunts that I found myself purchasing this album.
I was faintly familiar with Nick Lowe’s back story, kind of an uncle to the angry young men of England’s New Wave scenesters – Elvis and Graham particularly. A songwriter extroadinaire, Lowe had also found success with Rockpile, the rockabilly pub band formed with Dave Edmunds and several classic and sardonic songs incuding What’s so funny about Peace, Love and Understanding, I knew the Bride when she used to Rock and Roll and Cruel to be Kind.
On this album, Lowe delivers a low key masterpiece, subtly sung and not overly crowded with too much instrumentation or technology. It’s the kind of album that reaps rewards and illuminates hooks with multiple listenings.
Sonically, the album feels ‘lived in’ and exudes warmth and organic musicianship. One can hear hollow body guitars, Wurlitzer organ, stand up bass and feather light snare and bass drum accents throughout. The songs are finely crafted and feature some choice phrases, puns and put ons.
Particularly satisfying is the track Lately I’ve let things slide, in which Lowe professes and confesses his daily failings like picking out the least dirty shirt in the bin and failing again to kick the cigarette habit. His reworked Johnny Rivers classic, Poor side of Town, is heavy on the Wurlitzer with Lowe’s heartfelt lyric upfront.
All in all, an elegant album that deserves to be appreciated.
