What a breath of fresh air this Lloyd Cole album is. After the muted Love Story, this album, released in the year 2000, was his first to see the light of day in 5 years. Here Lloyd re-emerged with a new band, the Negatives.
Opener Past Imperfect is a bright, anthemic driving tune with special mention to self-referential lyrics (“what on my mind in Amsterdam in 1984, what did I want from the pouring rain… why was my head in the unmade bed”) and a wonderful guitar solo. It’s followed up by the acoustic Oasis-style strum of Impossible Girl, and then the moody No More Love Songs, all muted keyboards and guitars and the merest (and welcome) hint of steel guitar.
But the uptempo tracks are the real winners here: What’s Wrong With This Picture is another bright anthem in the vein of Past Imperfect, with jangly guitars and a great big catchy chorus. Negative Attitude is a tough, Lou Reed style rocker, recaptured later on the driving rock of Too Much E.
Vin Ordinaire will delight devotees of The Smiths with its chiming guitar arpeggios and soaring, yearning melody in the vein of No Blue Skies, while Tried To Rock sees Lloyd mine late-period Beatles territory with a putdown aimed squarely at himself.
A great collection of songs and a resounding return to form for Lloyd Cole.
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