Nick Lowe’s “The Old Magic”

Someone somewhere once told Nick Lowe to act his age and he took the advice seriously.
His new “The Old Magic” is a masterful album, impeccably performed and produced, but it’s also sad and subdued, a quiet declaration that “the Basher” has abandoned any thought of actually rocking ever again.
You can’t knock that. Lowe has decided to croon through the rest of his career, and the album’s subjects are fitting for a 62-year-old. Maybe too fitting.
“Checkout Time” is representative, a song about Lowe’s reputation after death: “Though I know this road is still some way to go, I can’t help thinking on will I be beloved and celebrated for my masterly climb, or just another bum when it comes to checkout time?”
Then there’s “I Read a Lot,” a devasting ballad about a lost romance. It’s a riveting story, and more MOR than Chuck Berry. The slightly more uptempo “House for Sale” is more of the same, with a little edge: “Take a look inside/this is where love once did reside.”
It’s an impeccable album. Lowe’s voice is still in great shape and his songwriting may be at an emotional high point.
Still, I’ll have to admit I miss the Nick Lowe of “Raging Eyes” and “Half A Boy and Half a Man.” At his peak, Lowe played full-throttle, melodic and irreverent songs that no one could match. Surely there’s still a “So It Goes” in there somewhere.