Following through on the roots-rock leanings of
Cowboy Outfit
,
Nick Lowe
delivered the delightful
The Rose of England
. While some of the material is still rather lightweight --
"Lucky Dog"
and "Bo Bo Skediddle" are defiant and thoroughly entertaining throwaways -- much of the record is clever and charming, delivered with laidback confidence from the
. "Darlin' Angel Eyes" and "The Rose of England" are minor classics in the
Lowe
canon, while his cover of
John Hiatt's
"She Don't Love Nobody" and the revival of the rockabilly standard "7 Nights to Rock" keep the album moving. Still, it's his stark take on
Elvis Costello's
lovely "Indoor Fireworks" that gives the album an anchor, and it's a performance so affecting that it makes the neutered reworking of "I Knew the Bride" completely forgivable. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine