HE WALKED in the rain with Jesus, endured a lost weekend in Amsterdam, but today, as allmusic.com has pointed out, he enjoys a status of "one of the most articulate and acute songwriters of the post-punk era".
Lloyd Cole is coming back to Galway where he will perform songs from across his long career, including tracks from his new electronic album, Guesswork, which was released during the summer.
Mostly constructed in his Massachusetts attic space, Lloyd’s first 'songs' album since 2013’s universally acclaimed Standards sees him finally create a (mostly ) electronic setting for his voice. “For a while,” he says, “it wasn’t clear if the project would ever come to fruition. I’ve always listened to electronic music, ever since hearing albums like [Iggy Pop’s] The Idiot and [David Bowie’s] Low. There’s a simplicity to those records – even the gentle songs are very brutally projected."
'When I was 27, the concept of the washed up older guy seemed very entertaining'
The album also sees the 58-year-old contemplate ageing. "As I’ve got older, I’ve become more attracted to lyrics that suit that delivery," he says. "Ageing is brutal and lends itself to a less ornamented way of writing. When I was 27, the concept of the washed up older guy seemed very entertaining. Now I’m starting to think old age could be a lot more fun than middle age. Because really what have we got to lose?”
The album also features Cole's former collaborator in The Commotions, guitarist Neil Clark, who will also be accompanying Cole at this Galway show.
Lloyd Cole plays the Róisín Dubh on November 3 at 8pm. Tickets are available from www.roisindubh.net; OMG@Zhivago, Shop Street; and the Róisín Dubh.
