Alive and kicking, vivid, fresh, but still solid and timeless, Primal Scream are back. This is actually the tenth studio album by the Scottish band and they managed to put together an extremely groovy mixture of different tastes and flavours, styles and sounds from 60’s and 70’s rock to dance grooves, from psychedelic vividness to acid vibes.
The almost ten minutes of “2013” feels like a mantra, it’s dense, powerful, yet danceable and uplifting, absolutely addictive. The verses reminded me of Velvet Underground and Lou Reed, but they added to this a very modern, subtle groove and some secret ingredient which will set your nights on fire on the dance floor. “River Of Pain” it’s dark and psychedelic, soft and simple, but tensioned. Feels like an acoustic Depeche Mode track.
“Culturecide” it’s a hard to forget type of addictive, pounding (indie) rock anthem with powerful acid flavour. Then come the garage sounding “Hit Void” with a killer saxophone solo.
“Tenement Kid” have a warm and charming Beatles feel. And while they surfing from one thing to another, the whole production stay fit, solid, it’s Primal Scream all over and throughout.
“Invisible City” it’s a funky/disco flavored track with roots back to the early 80’s. In my Sex Pistols days I would definitively hated this, but now I’m bored and tired to hate and this sound healthy and funny.
Primal Scream delivered – once again – something ageless and quite off the trends and I really appreciate they effort to do as they feel and not as critics, media or the fans expect.
“Goodbye Johnny” it’s somewhere between The Clash and… Leonard Cohen. Can you imagine that?
“Sideman” bring back some twisted out, sick and tumultuous psychedelia with Oriental flavors and heavy grooves. “Elimination Blues” it’s like a modern Led Zeppelin blues – if there would be Zeppelin nowadays with the same energy and creativity they had in the 70’s and the sound and technology of the 2000s. The ghost of The Beatles is also present adding a charming aroma to the song. Bloody murderous!!
“Turn Each Other Inside Out” it’s build upon another memorable bass-line. Debbie Googe did an incredible job throughout the album!
“Relativity” bring back again something from the Reed/Velvet Underground spirit, but it the very tasty Primal Scream manner. It’s another great track where explosive moments are cut down to quiet and chill passages. “Walking With The Beast” it’s another 70’s flavoured moment, a trip on acid and poetry.
“It’s Alright, It’s OK” it’s a danceable, uplifting, “easy”, smooth rock anthem, suitable for radio stations, have a strong 70’s flavour, very out of time and trends, still kind of timeless and evergreen.
CD1
01. 2013
02. River Of Pain
03. Culturecide
04. Hit Void
05. Tenement Kid
06. Invisible City
07. Goodbye Johnny
08. Sideman
09. Elimination Blues
10. Turn Each Other Inside Out
11. Relativity
12. Walking With The Beast
13. It’s Alright, It’s OK
CD2 (Extra Light)
1. Nothing Is Real / Nothing Is Unreal
2. Requiem For The Russian Tea Rooms
3. Running Out Of Time
4. Worm Tamer
5. Theme From More Light
6. 2013 – Weatherall Remix
Artwork by Jim Lambie. Photograph of Bobby Gillespie taken by Niall O’Brien. Design by Matthew Cooper.
Written by Bobby Gillespie and Andrew Innes
Except track 3 written by Gillespie/Innes/Stewart, Track 7 written by Lee Pierce
Track 10 written by Gillespie/Innes/Meltzer. Disc 2 track 4 written by Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey, Jim Sclavunos
Produced by David Holmes.
Recorded at Das Bunker, London, Vox Studios, Los Angeles, Eldorado Recording Studios, Burbank, California, Drama Studios, Belfast.
Mixed by Rich Costey at Eldorado Recording Studios, LA.
Buy it or steal it!!
Primal Scream – official Site
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