More Light

Primal Scream’s first record in five years begins with one of the best singles released so far this year: ‘2013’. To be completely honest, More Light struggles to live up to the promise of its opening track, but given its musical potency, it’s hardly surprising.

‘2013’ features the screaming guitars of previous collaborator and My Bloody Valentine legend Kevin Shields, but what really grabs the attention is the sheer momentum with which the thing charges for well into nine minutes; that and perhaps the glorious sax riff. In ‘2013’, Primal Scream have managed to capture everything that makes them one of the UK’s greatest and most criminally underrated acts.

The rest of the record holds some cracking gems that are sure to delight those who want to dig a little deeper. As with all Primal Scream records, no one track can truly encapsulate the variety of style present on this album. The out-of-place, Come Dine With Me–esque piano intro to ‘Goodbye Johnny’ could certainly throw listeners who aren’t aware of how far Primal Scream will cast their net stylistically. ‘Sideman’ brings back the chiming guitar sound of ‘Blood Money’ from 2000’s XTRMNTR, leaving a creepy unease that works which really stands out on the album, and slower moments such as ‘Relativity’ create softer vibes to better augment the frenetic energy present elsewhere.

Primal Scream are able to cherry-pick moments from their previous styles while still creating something that sounds completely current”

The fact that Primal Scream have been around for over 30 years has in no way dampened their spirits, and More Light fizzes with the energy twice that of acts half the band’s age. Album closer ‘It’s Alright, It’s OK’ is the closest that the album comes to the pure dance euphoria of their eternal magnum opus Screamadelica, though it is far from the only song to get the listener up and dancing, with the likes of ‘Invisible City’ and ‘Turn Each Other Out’ primed to bring out the groove in even the most reluctant raver. One of the most impressive features of this album is seen in how Primal Scream are able to cherry-pick moments from their previous styles while still creating something that sounds completely current.

Songs such as ‘Culturecide’ see the group return to the politically-charged lyrical content last seen on the beloved XTRMNTR, railing against the state of the country and the lack of rebellion present in its music scene. Primal Scream tell it as they see it, and there’s a clear sense of anger present against the other acts out there which don’t. However, the true genius of Primal Scream is that they never let their rage at the state of things sour the fun of their sound. You could just as easily find yourself partying all night to this album as you could dissecting the lyrical content, all the while discovering that Bobby Gillespie and co. really do have an important message to their music.

Similar To: The Stone Roses, The Chemical Brothers

MP3: ‘2013’, ‘Turn Each Other Out’, ‘Culturecide’