After years spent finding his feet as a solo performer, which included albums where he tripped over himself trying to bring heavy-handed doses of rock and orchestral pop to his music, Lloyd Cole has finally discovered where he belongs.
Cole has realised that it’s not the music which makes his songs so outstanding, it’s the lyrics: fine pieces of generally gloomy prose, which were so impressively delivered in dulcet tones by his long-defunct group Lloyd Cole and the Commotions.
Bad Vibes takes Cole back along these lines, teaming complex lyrics with a variety of mellow soundscapes, each punctuated by one simplistic theme. So You’d Like to Save the World is an addictive piece of acoustic-flavored Cole, while Love You So What has a country tinge, contrasting sharply with the stark, synthetic feel of Wild Mushrooms.
Publication: The Advertiser (South Australia)
Publication date: 09/12/93