English singer/songwriter Nick Lowe has worked brilliantly in various styles since 1967. He came of musical age in the mighty Brinsley Schwarz, a vastly underrated but influential pub-rock band. He then joined forces with Dave Edmonds in the roots-loving Rockpile, and his two late-'70s solo albums were power-pop trailblazers. Lowe's been a successful producer, too, helming seminal albums by Elvis Costello, The Damned, and The Pretenders, but he's best known as a songsmith—some of his tunes were hits for others like Costello—and his more recent work as rock 'n' roll balladeer soars.