Lloyd Cole is the kind of songwriter other songwriters listen to when they need reminding why the craft matters. The Scottish singer-songwriter who came to prominence with Lloyd Cole and the Commotions in the 1980s has spent four decades refining a voice that sounds like nobody else — literary without being cold, melodic without being obvious, and always, always in service of the song. He comes to Town Ballroom in Buffalo on April 23, and this is exactly the kind of room he belongs in.
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If you grew up with “Perfect Skin” or “Lost Weekend” on heavy rotation, this show needs no further argument. But Cole has continued writing and recording with the kind of seriousness that earned him his reputation, and his catalog rewards listeners who come in at any point. His solo work carries the same intelligence as his Commotions era, stripped down to its essentials and all the stronger for it.
There is something about a great songwriter in a mid-size room that you do not get anywhere else. The distance between the stage and the listener collapses, and suddenly every word lands differently. Town Ballroom has built its reputation in Western New York on exactly these kinds of nights — shows where the music is the point and the room is scaled accordingly. Lloyd Cole on that stage on April 23 is that kind of night.
Come ready to listen. Bring someone who appreciates a well-turned lyric. This one will not be announced twice.
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