A Camera Obscura, also known as the magic mirror of life, works like this: Go into a very dark room on a bright day. Make a small hole in a window cover and look at the opposite wall. What do you see? Magic! There in full color and movement will be the world outside the window - upside down! This magic is explained by a simple law of the physical world. Light travels in a straight line and when some of the rays reflected from a bright subject pass through a small hole in thin material they do not scatter but cross and reform as an upside down image on a flat surface held parallel to the hole. This law of optics was known in ancient times.

It is also the name of a pop band from Glasgow with a new record due for release on June 6th called Let’s Get Out Of This Country. The record is full of influences like Jimmy Webb, Lloyd Cole, Connie Francis, Skeeter Davis, The Supremes, and David Lynch. Take for instance the lead off single, referencing Lloyd Cole’s 1984 hit Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? Who the hell is Lloyd Cole, you ask? Well, I wasn’t sure either, but this is what I found:

Lloyd Cole first came to prominence as the frontman and main creative force behind Lloyd Cole and The Commotions , who were the darlings of the UK college circuit for a few years in the 80s. After 3 albums with The Commotions , Cole decamped to New York to seek fame and fortune, made a couple of wildly uneven, seriously overproduced solo albums (with the exception of 1995s excellent Love Story ), and literally disappeared while he tried to extricate himself from contractual difficulties. For several years now, Cole has been touring the world, just him and his guitar, playing stripped down versions of both his material with the Commotions, and his earlier solo work, and a selection of new tunes. It’s no surprise then, that the songs on Music in a Foreign Language reflect this with hushed arrangements and muted accompaniments.

Check out the video:

Bonus Track: Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? - Lloyd Cole

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