Pop Music Reviews : Cole Brings Sly Earnestness to Roxy

Lloyd Cole was all smiles as he embraced his acoustic guitar at the Roxy on Wednesday--surprising behavior for an artist whose newest album is fittingly titled “Bad Vibes.”

But Cole has long enjoyed a laugh or two over his darker thoughts, and the English rocker’s performance of such newer songs as “So You’d Like to Save the World” reflected that winking, good-natured sarcasm. This time Cole has unplugged the electric guitars and planted his lyrics of love gone wrong amid the earthier rhythms of an acoustic concert tour. The result was a 90-minute set that added a cheerful earnestness to the night, without sacrificing the sly, dynamic tension of Cole’s best music.

He was joined at the Roxy by guitarist Neil Clark (formerly of Cole’s defunct band the Commotions), who limited his own fine instrumental fireworks to some brief solo flourishes between lyrics. Cole picked up an occasional mood-enhancing cigarette as the duo glided through a long list of rockers and lullabies, cascading the chords and snapping guitar strings while the crowd shouted endlessly for favorite titles from Cole’s 10-year recording career. It was a potent mixture, rooted in Cole’s ear for dramatic melody, and in his happily bleak view of the modern world.