Lloyd Cole will release his new album ‘Guesswork’ on 26th July ’19 on the earMUSIC label. 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.
The full tracklisting of ‘Guesswork’ is
1. The Over Under
2. Night Sweats
3. Violins
4. Remains
5. The Afterlife
6. Moments and Whatnot
7. When I Came Down From The Mountain
8. The Loudness Wars
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 will be 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
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 the UK and Ireland in October. Neil Clark will accompany him. The full list of dates is:
OCTOBER
5 NEWCASTLE Tyne Theatre & Opera House
7 KILMARNOCK Palace Theatre
8 ABERDEEN Tivoli Theatre
10 DUNDEE The Gardyne Theatre
11 HAMILTON Townhouse
12 EDINBURGH Queens Hall
14 LIVERPOOL The Philharmonic Hall
15 LEEDS Town Hall
16 BUXTON Opera House
18 BIRMINGHAM Town Hall
19 GUILDFORD G Live
20 SALISBURY City Hall
21 NORTHAMPTON Derngate Theatre
23 BASINGSTOKE The Anvil & The Forge
24 LONDON Union Chapel
25 LONDON Union Chapel
29 KILKENNY The Set Theatre
30 DUBLIN Vicar Street
NOVEMBER
1 CORK Live At St Lukes
2 LIMERICK Dolans Warehouse
3 GALWAY Roisin Dubh
4 BELFAST The Belfast Empire Music Hall
Tickets go on sale at 10am today from http://www.lloydcole.com/live/
Lloyd Cole has released 14 studio albums including three with The Commotions [‘Rattlesnakes’ (84), ‘Easy Pieces’ (’85), Mainstream (’87)] nine solo albums [‘Lloyd Cole’ (’90), ‘Don’t Get Weird On Me Babe’ (’91), ‘Bad Vibes’ (’93), ‘Love Story’ (95), ‘Plastic Wood’ (’01), ‘Music In A Foreign Language’ (’03), ‘Anti Depressant’ (’06), ‘Broken Record’ (’10), ‘Standards’ (’13)], one with The Negatives [‘The Negatives (2000)] and one with Hans Joachim Roedelius [‘Selected Studies Vol. 1’ (’13)].
LLOYD COLE NEW ALBUM ‘GUESSWORK’ – RELEASE DATE 26 JULY ‘19
The album will be available on CD, LP and digital