Rolling Stone (p.72) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "On his first record in six years, this proto-punk icon keeps it terrifically mellow without getting mushy in the head."
Spin (p.100) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[A] soul-drenched, horn-inflected labor of lust....AGE is full of keepers..."
Entertainment Weekly (p.136) - "[A] finely honed collection, which is as musically sweet...as it is lyrically venomous." -- Grade: A-
Uncut (p.107) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Lowe has transported himself to Memphis and Nashville to create a set of songs reminiscent of such dignitaries as Al Green, Joe South, Glen Campbell and possibly even Dean Martin."
CMJ (p.46) - "[H]is raspy voice is complemented perfectly with soulful horns, country twang and a bit of good ol' fashioned rockabilly."
Dirty Linen (p.76) - "In short, he's found a way to orchestrate a carefully crafted version of Americana that's lush while still sounding simple..."
Personnel: Nick Lowe (electric bass); Steve Donnelly (guitar); Martin Winning (clarinet); Matt Holland (flugelhorn); Geraint Watkins (organ); Matt Radford (double bass); Robert Treherne (background vocals).
Additional personnel: Chrissie Hynde (vocals); Bob Loveday (viola); Nick Payne (baritone saxophone); Chris Barber (trombone); Bill Kirchen (6-string bass); Neil Brockbank (unknown instrument); Linnea Scensson, Anna Farvey (background vocals).
Those who last checked in with U.K. pub-rock hero Nick Lowe back when he was turning out breathless power-pop gems like "Heart of the City" and "Cruel To Be Kind" may be shocked at the stylistic contrast of AT MY AGE. However, anyone who's been following his career since the 1990s knows that his latter-day work revolves around a sharply constructed amalgam of soul, country, and pop/jazz standards, delivered with an understated, slow-burn feel. That's the order of the day on this album, and from the sardonic "I Trained Her To Love Me" to the uncharacteristically optimistic "Hope For Us All," Lowe is in top form, pausing in the creation of perfectly crafted tunes only to put a new gleam on Charlie Feather's rockabilly nugget, "A Man in Love."
