Through both his work being the front man of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions and his solo career, Lloyd Cole established himself as one of the most articulate and acute songwriters of the post-punk era.

Undergoing several artistic shifts, from minimalistic to folk-rock-inspired to electronic, Cole's work never compromised the high creative value that he has proven to provide over his distinguished career.

Following on from his last album, 2019's critically acclaimed Guesswork, the musical style of On Pain consists mainly of electronic sounds. All songs were written by Lloyd Cole - half of them in collaboration with Neil Clark and Blair Cowan, the original members of The Commotions.