Duncan Lloyd never seems at a loss for songs to sing, ideas and emotions to express. In addition to his regular gig with Maxïmo Park, Lloyd has busied himself with projects such as Decade in Exile, Nano Kino and the experimental Res Band.
He’s also a solo artist of note, as evidenced by his 2017 solo effort, the album I O U M E. Among the record’s best tracks is “Painters”, a tune that alternately feels familiar and foreign. It’s hushed and intimate while being loud and broadly expressive, summoning comparisons to Alex Chilton’s work on Big Star’s Third or Teenage Fanclub at its best.
According to Lloyd the sense of longing and melancholy evident on “Painters” as well as the rest of the LP from which its culled is not accidental, pointing out that the collection as a whole stands as something more personal. “‘Painters’ floats on warped tape loops and distant drum tracks, it looks back at a time when we felt less mortal, reflecting that what you dream of doesn’t always turn out as planned.”