lloyd cole and the commotions

[33] Camera Obscura, ‘Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken’

Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken

While we’re celebrating UK chart success stories, Camera Obscura have had five 45s tear up the hit parade to peak between 100 and 200 – truly the shape of Pixie Lott’s career to come. ‘Lloyd…’ is the second, er, biggest of the lot, a Number 124 smash in 2006. Back then, Junior reviewed it twice: once as a random choice from the 7″ pile, then as our Number 4 pick of the year. Neither piece features on this version of the blog, so I’m free to plagiarise myself.

The first time, I admitted I could never remember this warm rush of indie-country-pop so instead blathered on about “answer” records – you know, this to Lloyd Cole & The Commotions’ fluttering meanie, Frankie to Eamon, Lydia Murdoch to Michael Jackson. But clearly these Scots also-rans worm their way into your head with galloping guitar and madly slurred vocals, and perhaps the fact it was so difficult to get a tight grip on in the first place is what keeps it so fresh.

Junior says: “It’s good and bad,” raising one thumb aloft with the other pointed down. “What’s good?” She mimes playing the organ. “And what’s bad?” “I don’t know.” “Ha!”

Best bit: The chord change from middle eight to final verse, of course.

While we’re celebrating UK chart success stories, Camera Obscura have had five 45s tear up the hit parade to peak

between 100 and 200 – truly the shape of Pixie Lott’s career to come. ‘Lloyd…’ is the second, er, biggest of the

lot, a Number 124 smash in 2006. Back then, Junior reviewed it twice: once as a random choice from the 7″ pile, then

as our Number 4 pick of the year. Neither piece features on this version of the blog, so I’m free to plagiarise

myself.

The first time, I admitted I could never remember this warm rush of indie-country-pop so instead blathered on about

“answer” records – you know, this to Lloyd Cole & The Commotions’ yelping beauty, Frankie to Eamon, Lydia Murdoch to

Michael Jackson. But clearly these Scots also-rans worm their way into your head with galloping guitar and madly

slurred vocals, and perhaps the fact it was so difficult to get a tight grip on in the first place is what keeps it

so fresh.

Junior says: “It’s good and bad,” raising one thumb aloft with the other pointed down. “What’s good?” She mimes

playing the organ. “And what’s bad?” “I don’t know.” “Ha!”

Best bit: The chord change from middle eight to final verse, of course.

[15] Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, ‘Forest Fire’

Junior sat transfixed at the audacity of Lloyd’s wordplay and the shocking absence of dropped names. Not an Eva Marie Saint nor Norman Mailer in sight. As the song picked up, she livened up with an array of bounces, but there weren’t enough huge clanging chords to really get her excited. It’s a slow-burner of a record, aptly enough, and one for the more serious-minded teenager.

I thought it was romantic as hell back then, even though my closest brushes with affairs of the heart were limited to sending Valentines to girls I’d never met. Not so much stalking as a love as yet unspoken.

This didn’t even trouble the charts, but it’s a great song and quietly important to me. Lloyd was often at my shoulder over the next few years, helping me with my lovelorn poetry. Would’ve been nice if he’d exercised some quality control over it, mind you.