This album, recommended to me not long after its release by my friend Jim, was my introduction to Lloyd Cole. I've since gone back and revisited his early releases with his band The Commotions which I should have discovered in the '80s. The whole ordeal makes me rather upset I had never heard of Cole until 2000. We're treated here to a lot of mid-tempo songs with bouncy bass lines and arpeggiated guitar chords that give the album a mid-'80s indie feel which, to be honest, is probably why I like it so much. Cole doesn't get much attention in the US, which is a real shame. This is a hook-laden, very comfortable set of pop songs from an undervalued singer/songwriter; it's easily the best thing Cole has released since The Commotions split.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Tracks: My picks are Past Imperfect, What's Wrong With This Picture, and Too Much E. The weakest cuts are Vin Ordinaire and Tried to Rock, but, at just 41 minutes total, I usually listen to the whole album start-to-finish.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This got a lot of playing time in my car in 2000 and 2001 which is probably why I don't listen to it now as much as I probably should. This CD kept me company on many trips to Portland to see the aforementioned Jim and to Victoria for grad school classes.
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