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Saturday 11 October 2014

The Primitives - Spin-O-Rama New Album (13th October 2014)

Click on the links to enjoy the music of The Primitives.

Released on Monday 13th October 2014 'Spin -O-Rama', the brand new album on Elefant Records by Coventry's finest The Primitives

"The Primitives?" I hear you ask.

"Those Indie Pop darlings from the late 80's who delighted us with heart racing classics like 'Crash', 'Really Stupid', 'Thru the Flowers', 'Stop Killing Me' and 'Buzz Buzz Buzz'?"

Yes!

"The band that had the lead singer who was so great they named her twice?" 

Indeed, one and the same The Primitives and Tracy Tracy.

"Oh, I thought they vanished back in the nineties?"

They did indeed disappear but got back together again following the untimely death of original Bassist Steve Dullaghan in Febrauary 2009 and in October of the same year played their first shows together in Coventry and London. Since then they have been gigging home and abroad and recording together with a brand new bassist Raph Moore. The rest of the band is of course Tracy Tracy on Vocals, Paul Court on Guitars and Vocals and on the Drums Tig Williams.

Back in 2012 they released 'Echoes and Rhymes' which had been their first album for 21 years (their last album release had been 'Galore' in 1991)! Now two years on they release their first album of original music for 23 years ('Echoes and Rhymes' was all cover versions).


Soundtrack4Life shone a spotlight on that album last year. I totally love it because if you didn't know the songs you'd actually think they were original songs such was the deft touch they gave to each of the tracks. Here's a little reminder of that post and have a listen maybe for the first time to those tracks for yourself and you'll see what I mean.


(Track List for New Album)

Listen/Watch Here For Audio/Visual:


Oops, detour! Apologies, getting back on track. Now, where were we...oh yes, that's right!...

So a new album of original material is coming out on Monday. 'Lose The Reason' was released last year as a single (backed by 'Always Coming Back') and prior to listening, that and the newest single, the title track 'Spin-O-Rama' (and B-Side 'Up So High') were the newest things I'd heard. That was enough to create a longing to hear more.







This could easily be a fine pop album from the 1990's following in The Primitives canon of 'Lovely' (1988), 'Pure' (1989) and 'Galore' (1991) but wait a moment, it's 2014! And let me tell you this, it's a superb collection of pop tunes from the opening 'Spin-O-Rama' that almost has you imagining yourself at some Indie Disco dancing your heart out into the wee hours of the morning until you find "The childhood dreams" that you thought you had lost.

'Hidden In The Shadows' comes across as a handgrenade that blows up the often fake world we live in with it's false promises and the reality that it's just "Fairytale Lies" and urges the listener to "Find a truth of your own" and basically be yourself and not get swept up in fads and trends.


Wednesday World has Paul on vocals, and I always like it when he sings because it brings a little something extra to the sound of the band. There's almost a step back in time that reminds me of other great music from the late 80's/early 90's that I had long put up on the shelf and maybe now seems like a good time to take it down, blow the dust off and give it a fresh airing.

Follow The Sun Down has a quirky, almost 1960's pop feel about it but the imagery of the lyric is quite dark. I think Tracy Tracy sounds so good these days, she seems to be singing with a greater confidence and a comfortableness in her abilities as the front woman for the band.

Purifying Tone - Paul is back on the lead vocal and again there's this kind of dark edge lyrically as he's "found a sound that will block you out". Music does have some great power and I'm sure there would be many that would love to find "a sound that will crush you/that will flush you from my mind", as we seek to deal with the baggage of past relationships that have damaged us! If Paul wants to Patent and trademark that sound he'll put a lot of Agony Aunt's out of business!

Lose The Reason is one of those great pop songs that's like a conversation between two people about the demise of their relationship - think of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John's 'You're the One I Want' and turn it upside down! Okay, it's nothing like that at all but the concept is the similar!



Petals - Ah! This is like one of those great lost singles from The Primitives. Paul Court has once again managed to find that sound of the late 80's/early 90's and transplant it to today. If it were possible, given the right amount of promotion etc it could be a hit single (if the Singles chart wasn't the terrible mess it is today!). Maybe some nice DJ on the Transistor Radio might be kind and give it a few spins and get the word out!

Working Isn't Working is probably a feeling that many have in this day and age: "Can't give up my precious time for something I hate/I won't toe the line/I'm clocking out". I'm certain that many unhappy with their working conditions would love to say that.

"I wasn't made for lifting things or digging up the ground
I never want to follow orders or to knuckle down
I wasn't born to stand in line I like to sit around"

"I just want to sit here doing nothing" is the ending refrain and of course it's also the opening line to the song 'Lazy'.


Velvet Valley is a kind of instrumental with harmonious "Sha-na-na-na's" that seems a bit out of place yet heralds the album almost at an end.

Dandelion Seed is another slice of perfect pop that could easily be a single. It's almost a shame it has to end!

Let's Go 'Round Again does mark the end, it's the refrain from 'Spin-O-Rama' but wait, it's like an invitation to play it again

...so I hit repeat!

By the way, Go and Buy It, it's gorgeous.

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