If Bill Lloyd’s Set To Pop stands as one of the most glorious pop records of the ’90s, his latest, coming five years later, proves he hasn’t lost his touch. Indeed, he’s honed his smart songcraft even further.
Lloyd cut his teeth, of course, as half of the country-rock duo Foster & Lloyd, a late-’80s act that enjoyed mainstream chart success despite being way ahead of its time. But there’s really not a hint of twang in Lloyd’s work anymore. There’s plenty of the Beatles and the Who, a dash of the Byrds and Cheap Trick. Lloyd, a terrific guitarist, acknowledges these debts freely in the album-opening title track, which affirms that, yes, it’s all been done before, but what the hell, let’s rock.
Although Lloyd wears these influences on his sleeve, he’s got plenty up that same sleeve to keep things interesting. The title of “Dr. Robert’s Second Opinion” is a helluva clever Beatles reference, and damned if the song doesn’t deliver on that promise. The pounding rocker “Complaints” rages, “This is the age of bitching and moaning, hi-decibel groaning/It’s all about owning your pain.” And you gotta love a guy who titles an engaging slice of psychedelia “Turn Me On, Dead Man”.
Giants features plenty of great guests; perhaps the most notable is Marshall Crenshaw, a fellow traveler in the fine art of running rock tradition through modern sensibilities. Like Crenshaw, Lloyd manages to make it all sound fresh, even though, as he cheerfully notes, there’s nothing new under the sun.
