Best known as founding member of Television and hired gun for Matthew Sweet and Rocket From the Tombs, Richard Lloyd has been building a solo career since his debut album Alchemy in 1980.
Lloyd’s latest, The Countdown, hits the ground running with “Wind In the Rain,” building on a signature guitar riff and his unmistakable tone. If his voice has weathered, then it only makes sense that the subject matter of his songs has deepened as well. Never a slave to technique, Lloyd doesn’t let it get in the way of his emotional guitar playing. Lyrically, “Smoke” plays on the metaphor of constant evolution through love and loss. “Something Remains” offers lyrical nostalgia that leans toward Romanticism and personal reverie supported by melodic, muscular riffs. “Down the Drain” is a mix of pop-smarts that recall his debut LP and “The Countdown” builds from a narration of a rocket launch leaving Earth for the stars and beyond, seemingly a launchpad for Lloyd’s guitar work out—a formula that certainly worked well for him in Television.
If his recent Milwaukee gig at Shank Hall seemed by the numbers—where Lloyd was unafraid to flash his talent without ever truly laying it out there—then this album leaves no room for discussion. With The Countdown, Lloyd’s music carries the day. Timeless songwriting and production, along his singular guitar playing are the album’s hallmarks.
