When I ask myself why I still live in the Valley, with all its pettiness, ambivalence and transient stories of loves lost and dreams muffled, I look no further than its secretly-harbored gems like Lloyd Cole. Having settled (somewhat) in the area after a subtly dazzling career that began in 1982 in Glasgow, Scotland, with a band called The Commotions, Cole has made a go of it for the last two decades touring with his various solo projects and a still-prolific songwriting output. Drawing from influences across the musical spectrum from T Rex to Leonard Cohen, Cole's rhythms are gentle, his guitar tunings consonant and dreamy, and his melodies clean and spirited in the style of Donovan or Paul McCartney.
Cole embodies something of the quintessential troubadour, and from his blogs it seems he truly does roam from ville to vale singing for his supper. His manner bears the typical charm of a well-educated British subject, and his smile betrays a "Tom Bombadil" soul that is old as the hills. In spite of his airs of whimsy, he retains a voice and a power far greater than one would ever suspect.
July 18, 9 p.m., $22, Club Helsinki, 284 Main St., Great Barrington, (413) 528-3394, www.clubhelsinkiweb.com.
