by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Nick Lowe's best records have always been full of clever lyrics and undeniable pop craftsmanship; the exception is The Impossible Bird. For most of the 1980s, Lowe had been appropriating country and R&B influences, but The Impossible Bird is where he fully incorporates those styles into his songwriting. Lowe doesn't abandon his gift for melody; &Soulful Wind& and &12-Step Program (To Quit You Babe)& are as catchy as anything he's ever written. The difference is haunting songs like &The Beast in Me& and &Withered on the Vine,& two rich, sad, introspective numbers that Lowe would never have put on previous albums. And that's what makes The Impossible Bird his best album since Labour of Lust -- it's the most focused, mature, personal music of his career, without a single throwaway.