Jesus of Cool
was a jukebox, spinning out a series of perfectly crafted -- and decidedly quirky and subversive --
pop
singles. In contrast,
Nick Lowe
's second album,
Labour of Lust
, is the work of a
bar band
, in this case
Rockpile
, playing the hell out of the same type of songs. Naturally, the result is a more coherent sound that may be a little less freewheelingly eclectic, but it is no less brilliant. Recorded simultaneously with
Dave Edmunds
'
Repeat When Necessary
,
benefits from the muscular support of
, who make
Lowe
's songs crackle with vitality. Working primarily in the
roots rock
vein of
Brinsley Schwarz
but energizing his traditionalist tendencies with strong
melodies, a sense of humor, and an edgy
new wave
sensibility,
comes up with one of his best sets of songs. Not only is his only hit, the propulsively hook-laden
"Cruel to Be Kind,"
here, but so are the rampaging outsider anthem
"Born Fighter,"
the tongue-in-cheek,
Chuck Berry
-style
"Love So Fine,"
the wonderful pure
of
"Dose of You,"
the haunting
"Endless Grey Ribbon,"
the druggy
"Big Kick, Plain Scrap!,"
and the terrific
"Cracking Up,"
as well as his definitive version of
Mickey Jupp
's
"Switchboard Susan."
It's an exceptional collection of inventive
songs, delivered with vigor and energy, making it one of the great records of the
. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine