Nick Lowe put out a video featuring a beloved American earlier this year when Marc Maron starred in “Sensitive Man”. Now, he’s done it again for another song off his 2011 album, The Old Magic. This time around, Paul F. Tompkins is wandering around what the YouTube commenters believe is Chicago, looking forlorn and occasionally mouthing the words to Lowe’s “Stoplight Roses”.
Watching Tompkins look dapper but sad is worthwhile on its own, but the video is also a reminder that Lowe, at the age of 63, is still completely on his game. You might know him as a producer or as the songwriter behind hits like “Cruel to Be Kind” and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?” If you’re really lucky, though, you know him as a killer solo artist, a pop master who turns out near-perfect songs. The Old Magic and its 2007 predecessor, At My Age, are both impeachable. Get listening.