A Love Story For Everyone Of Us

My goal this time was to sit down and write a quintessential Lloyd Cole record. –

Lloyd Cole on the Love Story record.

If you are familiar with Lloyd Cole, you would know the quintessential Cole record that he is talking about is his band’s debut album, Rattlesnakes. Described as "a wry, heartfelt record of jangling guitar pop stuffed with references to" literary figures, this album also contained classic pop songs such as “Perfect Skin” and “Are You Ready To Be Heart Broken?”.

In Love Story, his 4th album since the split up of his band, he comes close to it. While his previous three solo outing results were a mixed bag of partial success and failed experiments, Love Story shows us a more mature Lloyd Cole who has learned from those experiences. Here, he produces 12 tracks of gentle, sincere and feathery pop songs, is in his natural element as a perceptive songwriter, and basically sounds more relaxed and confident.

He is in his comfort zone with songs like “Trigger Happy”, “Sentimental Fools”, “Love Ruins Everything” and “Like Lovers Do”, four very ear-friendly jangly-pop songs, and reminded us why he was such a favourite of most music critics during the 80’s. In “Baby”, “I Didn’t Know That You Cared”, “Be There” and “Happy For You”, Cole nurtured some melancholic, bittersweet tempo and lyrics for his listeners.

The album, as the title suggested, tackles love and romance and everything about them, but do not mistaken this with a record heavy with heart breaking, sappy emotions, which one can only imagine when he hears Love Story for a title. This one is more than that. It is a brilliantly-made and glowing-sounding pop album, which you can listen to, appreciate, and be fond of even if you do not feel in loved. And finally, yes, it is almost the quintessential Cole record we have come to know.

Album Info:
Artist: Lloyd Cole
Album: Love Story
Released Date: 1995

Genre: Alternative Pop/Rock, College Rock