Lloyd Cole
Dublin Whelan's
28th January, 2007

No longer attracting the interest he did with The Commotions, Cole still has a healthy, loyal following that he pleased with an intelligent mix of Commotions tracks (Cut Me Down, Rattlesnakes), and his own stronger songs (Music In A Foreign Language, No Blue Skies). Cole now prefers to be recognised as a folk troubadour and, to this end, his anecdotes are interesting and humorous, though his self-deprecating obsession with his own morbidity wears a bit thin. His lyrics, fortunately, speak for themselves, displaying an intricate, understated understanding of emotions. New York City Sunshine is finely balanced between beautiful and haunting, without being twee. He’s unafraid to play requests, with 2CV a popular choice, though the biggest cheer was reserved for the encore led by Cole’s My Bag and the intelligent Young Idealists. To close, he gave us Jennifer She Said, which left the crowd happy.