On the new single from Lloyd Cole’s upcoming album ‘On Pain‘, which he is releasing on his EarMUSIC label on the 23rd July he sings that “it’s warmer by the fire, by the flames” to a soundtrack that’s pure Lloyd Cole – even given the injection of keyboards and synths. Don’t get fooled though, Lloyd Cole isn’t hunkering down in some isolated cabin in a snowy wilderness – those fires are being set by the mob, and it’s the city that has smoke curling above it: “flames rise and the law hides in fear / cars burning mob surging near.” There’s a comment on the paucity of the riot going on – fed by a desire for luxury goods of zero value other than for the name emblazoned on them “we got shopping carts full of Chanel and Dior in keeping with the New Order.” It’s a dystopia – whether the feared dystopia of now or the threatened chaos to come Lloyd Cole isn’t too clear as he says: “Sure, it could be a Ballard story, or it could be a discarded script. It could be a VR game the protagonist is immersed in. It could be happening, it could happen, but maybe it isn’t. Maybe it won’t.””
‘On Pain’, features eight new Lloyd Cole songs, four of which are co-written by Commotions founding members Blair Cowan and Neil Clark, who also perform on the record. The album was produced by Chris Merrick Hughes and was recorded in Lloyd’s attic studio The Establishment in Massachusetts.
Lloyd Cole will be touring extensively in the UK this October.
