Lloyd Cole has released his new album ‘Guesswork’ via earMUSIC/Sony Music Australia.
Recorded (mostly) in his attic studio in Massachusetts, ‘Guesswork’ is produced by Lloyd and mixed by maverick German producer Olaf Opal, with executive production from Chris Hughes. The record was mastered by Kai Blankenberg at Skyline Tonfabrik in Dusseldorf.
All songs are by Lloyd Cole apart from ‘Remains’ and ‘When I Came Down From The Mountain’, which were written by Lloyd and Blair Cowan. The album is available on CD, vinyl, DL and streaming platforms.
Lloyd collaborated with three other musicians on ‘Guesswork’, most notable of whom are two former bandmates – guitarist Neil Clark and keyboard player Blair Cowan – who found themselves working together on an album with Lloyd for the first time since The Commotions’ swansong ‘Mainstream’ in 1987. However anyone expecting a Commotions sound will be on the wrong tack: ‘Guesswork’ is predominantly an ‘electronic’ album.
Lloyd, Blair Cowan and another longtime Lloyd associate Fred Maher (drummer on Lloyd’s early solo albums and his last album 2013’s ‘Standards’) have fashioned the ‘Guesswork’ sound from classic and modern keyboard, modular and drum synthesizers, though guitars played by both Lloyd and Neil Clark do feature. Lloyd’s ear for a melody, his lyrical smarts, and his unmistakable voice ensure these songs stand shoulder to shoulder with anything he has previously written.
“I might just stop breathing
I might just stop keeping time
With the violins
Or I might come out swinging
And what if I sang out of key
With the violins?”
Violins
Watch the video for Night Sweats here
Says Lloyd: “When I was 27, the concept of the washed up older guy seemed very entertaining. Now I’m starting to think that old age could be a lot more fun. Because really what have we got to lose?”
The portrait of Lloyd that graces the cover of ‘Guesswork’ is by Glasgow Art School graduate and former singer of The Big Dish, Steven Lindsay.
Lloyd Cole will tour Australia in December. The full list of dates is below.
TOUR DATES
Dec 6 HOBART Theatre Royal
Dec 7 BENDIGO Ulumbarra Theatre
Dec 9 CANBERRA Canberra Theatre Centre
Dec 11 MELBOURNE Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall
Dec 12 ADELAIDE Dunstan Playhouse
Dec 14 LISMORE City Hall
Dec 15 BRISBANE Concert Hall QPAC
Dec 20 SYDNEY City Recital Hall
Dec 22 FREMANTLE Freo Social
Tickets are available now, for more details, please visit: http://www.lloydcole.com/live
