Print titled "Fish Market (#73)" by Kawakami Sumio from the "100 Views of New Tokyo" series, 1930
New York art-rock combo Television broke up in 1978, severing the partnership of Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, whose two-guitar attack was unlike anything in the history of rock. The following year, Richard Lloyd released a solo album called Alchemy, one of just a handful of albums he'd release in his post-Television career. I've heard that this somewhat obscure record is actually a "lost" power-pop classic, so I've had my eye out for a copy for some time. Is it possible that Lloyd stepped out of Verlaine's gaunt, gaunt shadow and delivered a single amazing pop album before scrapping his solo career in favor of session work?
The answer is "yes and no." Richard Lloyd isn't much of a singer, and he's not a consistently good lyricist either. But, on Alchemy, these leaden weaknesses are turned to gold (no pun intended!) by his excellent sense of melody and the strength of his guitar-playing. Lloyd tries a variety of pop sounds on Alchemy, including the Byrds-influenced jangle of "Should Have Known Better", new-wave keyboards of "Blue and Grey", and harmonica-inflected blues-pop on "Woman's Ways". He's caught a lot of flak for how the too-high chorus of the latter song exposes his inadequacy as a vocalist, but I actually find his strangled squeal quite charming.
My favorite song on the album is the title track, a chugging, mid-tempo number that shows how his subtle use of lead guitar turns a ho-hum structure and melody into a memorable pop song. If you like Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend and the guitar work that Lloyd contributed to that album, Alchemy is probably right up your alley.
"Alchemy" by Richard Lloyd
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