Lloyd Cole’s self-titled album is a polished pop-rock record with a distinctly late-80s sound, built around clean guitars, melodic arrangements, keyboards and Cole’s understated vocals. But there’s quite a bit of variety across the album. Some songs lean toward alternative pop and jangly guitar rock, while others explore bluesier rock, chamber pop and rootsier country influences. There’s even a little psychedelic atmosphere along the way.
“Don’t Look Back” gets things started with a bright, mid-tempo pop-rock arrangement, featuring chiming guitars and a slightly soulful vocal. There’s a polished quality to it that brings some late-80s sounds to mind, but underneath the catchy melody is a reflective song about regret and the choices people make.
Things take a darker, bluesier turn on “What Do You Know About Love?,” with a strong rhythm section and a slightly sinister edge. Its lyrics mix romantic pain with religious imagery, as the speaker questions what love actually means and whether the things he’s been taught to believe can offer any comfort.
There’s a gentler side to the album on “No Blue Skies,” one of its prettiest melodies, built around a guitar-led pop arrangement that almost sounds like a conventional romantic tune. But there’s something unsettling underneath it. The relationship at the center of the song seems to be breaking down because the two people can’t connect emotionally.
That sense of disconnection becomes even more affecting on “Loveless,” a gorgeous ballad about the loneliness left behind when a relationship fails. It’s probably the most emotionally effective song on the album.
A different kind of longing emerges on “To the Church,” another gentle, cool-sounding pop-rock song, but one with a more complicated subject. There’s a sense of someone searching for a traditional kind of love and a more wholesome life, while finding himself surrounded by things that don’t quite fit that ideal.
The darker impulses that run through the album come further into focus on “Downtown,” probably its most expansive rock song. The chorus opens up beautifully, with a full arrangement, layered backing vocals and a bluesy atmosphere. But there’s also this sense that finding a bit of that dark side in someone else would bring a sense of connection that’s hard to find.
The contrast between the music and lyrics is especially striking on “A Long Way Down.” Its beautiful, almost Beatles-like chamber-pop arrangement, with graceful, cinematic strings, accompanies a rather cutting song about someone consumed by excess, arrogance and self-destructive behavior.
The album shifts back toward bright, jaunty pop on “Undressed.” The lyrics, however, are considerably less innocent, exploring an attraction to someone else’s vulnerability. It’s another example of Cole using an inviting pop arrangement to frame a rather uncomfortable perspective.
The remaining songs add even more variety. “I Hate to See You Baby Doing That Stuff” is a more direct rocker, while “Sweetheart” continues the album’s melodic pop sensibility and “Ice Cream Girl” brings in a more playful, offbeat rock sound. “Waterline” has a relaxed, rootsy country-rock feel, with a little of The Band’s organic sound, and “Mercy Killing” closes the record with a hazy, somewhat psychedelic atmosphere.
These songs help make the album feel less tied to any one particular style, even as Cole maintains a consistent melodic approach throughout.
There’s a recurring tension between faith and experience throughout the album. Religious imagery appears alongside songs about romantic disappointment, loneliness, aging, and disillusionment. It gives the impression of people searching for some kind of reassurance or peace, while struggling with the reality of their own lives. Faith may offer the promise of comfort, but these characters aren’t necessarily finding it.
It’s an interesting and varied album, with several songs that really linger.
Verdict: Solid
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