Recorded (mostly) in his attic studio in Massachusetts, Guesswork was produced by Lloyd Cole and mixed by maverick German producer Olaf Opal, with executive production from Chris Hughes. Lloyd collaborated with three other musicians on Guesswork, most notable of whom are two former bandmates – guitarist Neil Clark and keyboard player Blair Cowan – who found themselves working together on an album with Lloyd for the first time since The Commotions’ swansong Mainstream in 1987. However anyone expecting a Commotions sound will be on the wrong tack: Guesswork is predominantly an ‘electronic’ album.

Cole, Cowan and another longtime Lloyd associate Fred Maher (drummer on Lloyd’s early solo albums and his last album 2013’s Standards) have fashioned the Guesswork sound from classic and modern keyboard, modular and drum synthesizers, though guitars played by both Lloyd and Clark do feature. Cole’s ear for a melody, his lyrical smarts, and his unmistakable voice ensure these songs stand shoulder to shoulder with anything he has previously written. All of the songs on the record were written by Cole apart from “Remains” and “When I Came Down From The Mountain,” which were co-written with Cowan.

Says Lloyd: “When I was 27, the concept of the washed up older guy seemed very entertaining. Now I’m starting to think that old age could be a lot more fun. Because really what have we got to lose?” The portrait of Lloyd that graces the cover of Guesswork is by Glasgow Art School graduate and former singer of The Big Dish, Steven Lindsay. The album was mastered by Kai Blankenberg at Skyline Tonfabrik in Dusseldorf.