Nick Lowe (Proper)

Subtitled ‘The New Best of Nick Lowe’, no doubt to differentiate it from previous compilations, this bulky two-CD, one-DVD package surveys the 33-year career of Brentford’s finest pop artisan. At 50 tracks it’s a little unwieldy, neither totally comprehensive nor neatly concise. But there’s some lovely stuff here, most of it on disc two: in particular the wistful What’s Shakin’ On The Hill, the redemptive Hope For Us All, and the simply gorgeous You Inspire Me. WILL FULFORD-JONES