Lloyd Cole

Love Story

Music that can't be contained on a simple, plastic disc.

Review Score:

(10/10)
When I bought this CD on a whim, I had never even heard of Lloyd Cole. Suffice it to say that I introduced myself to Cole when I was still thoroughly naive of his incredible talent; this was back when I would've thought The Commotions was some kind of debilitating illness, and not his former backup band.

I fell in love with the CD in a slowly-progressive manner similar to the way innocent crushes are formed. To say that I was overwhelmed with admiration from the beginning wouldn't be accurate. Rather, I casually figured this was an album to keep around and spend some time with in the future if the mood seemed right. Soon, I found myself spending more and more time with "Love Story" and before long, there came that pivotal moment in many a CD's lifetime when I "heard" the album for the first time. That's when my devotion to "Love Story" and, more broadly, to Lloyd Cole's music in general, emerged.

After more recent purchases of Cole's though, I can confidently say that "Love Story" is more the exception to his style, than the rule. Certainly, familiarizing one's self with Lloyd Cole by means of "Love Story" is like being introduced to U2 with the "Pop" album. It simply wasn't a portrayal of the past, and this, I believe, is what made some longtime fans look elsewhere, while simultaneously turning some window shoppers like me into dedicated listeners. Where much of Cole's previous projects are guitar-driven, bold works only sparsely tempered by the occasional reflective serenade, "Love Story" is quite the polar opposite. From beginning to end, this is a nocturnal delight, blatantly engineered for the immediate pre-dawn hours. Which is not to assert that this is music to sleep to. On the contrary, the vast majority of these songs are gently melodic, lushly acoustic, and delicately formed within the womb of Cole's undeniable emotion; this disc belongs in your insomnia first-aid kit, next to Everything But The Girl's "Amplified Heart."

More Reviews: