For anyone who knew Nick Lowe when he used to rock & roll, Dig My Mood will come as a surprise. As the near-parody of its title indicates, this album plumbs the late-night ambience of cocktail crooning, a direction Lowe explored on his 1994 outing, The Impossible Bird. But this time Lowe goes deeper. And while he doesn't remotely have the voice to sustain this material in its pristine form, Lowe more than gets by on his irresistible heart and charm.

The more closely these songs veer toward the roots-derived genres that Lowe knows best, the more convincingly they come off. The sweet soul of "What Lack of Love Has Done" comes quite naturally to him, as does the muted rockabilly of "I Must Be Getting Over You," "Man That I've Become" and Ivory Joe Hunter's "Cold Grey Light of Dawn." In recent years Lowe has also grown fascinated with the dark end of the street. He imbues such brooding, self-lacerating ballads as "Faithless Lover," "Failed Christian" and "High on a Hilltop" with an almost frightening calm.

So if the corny vibes, tinkling piano and brushed snare of "You Inspire Me" – not to mention Lowe's mawkish vocals – make you wish you were listening to Chet Baker, that feeling soon passes. Dig My Mood may be impure lounge for now people, but in the wee, small hours of the morning, you'd be hard pressed to tell it from the real thing. (RS 784)

ANTHONY DECURTIS