Indoor Safari

by Nick Lowe

Overview

When Nick Lowe began touring and recording with the nimble rock & roll combo Los Straitjackets in the late 2010s, it marked a dividing point in his career. The sophisticated, stately crooner he had been in the past decade or two was replaced by a fellow a little more interested in rocking out, perhaps even recapturing some of the power pop gusto of his glory days in Rockpile. Over the course of three singles issued between 2018 and 2022, the chemistry between Lowe and the band solidified into something rollicking and fun, an amazing third or fourth act for the singer/songwriter. As the band toured over the years, the songs from the singles were well honed, prompting Lowe's decision to re-record them for his first album in years, Indoor Safari. It's about half remakes and half new songs, all played in laid-back, old-fashioned rock & roll style. Unsurprisingly, the songs are all hookier than the fishing department in an outdoor gear megamart. Lowe dips into the past to come up with songs that feel borrowed from the Buddy Holly ("Love Starvation") and Del Shannon ("Lay It on Me") songbooks, occasionally injecting some snap and crackle that make it feel like Rockpile if you squint a little ("Crying Inside"). There are a few songs that update his crooner persona, while the band strips off a layer of sophistication and gloss and adds some surf rock twang. Lowe's vocals sound weathered, but never torn, which adds some extra gravitas to the ballads like "Different Kind of Blue" that dot the album like teardrops. He's also flexible enough to deliver some good-natured sass on "A Quiet Place," strut a little on "Jet Pac Boomerang," and warble like a dime store Roy Orbison on the album's stickiest tune, "Trombone." It all adds up to something predictably well-crafted and impeccably played, but it's also a cherry on top of the wonderfully unexpected sundae that is his collaboration with Los Straitjackets. It may not be Rockpile, and it may not equal his best albums as a crooner, but it's a cheerful, fun, sweet -- and melancholy at times -- record that consolidates and validates the revival of Lowe the rocker and for that, his fans should rejoice. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	09/13/2024
Label:	Yep Roc Records
UPC:	0634457173835
Rank:	6495

Tracks

1. Went to a Party
2. Love Starvation
3. Crying Inside
4. A Quiet Place
5. Blue on Blue
6. Jet Pac Boomerang
7. Tokyo Bay
8. Trombone
9. Different Kind of Blue
10. Raincoat in the River
11. Lay It on Me Baby
12. Don't Be Nice to Me

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Nick Lowe   Primary Artist