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Primal Scream

Chaosmosis

Written by: BV on 30/04/2016 23:07:06

Throughout their roughly thirty years in the music business, Primal Scream have most definitely proven to be flexible, allowing themselves to morph into new areas of music as the times went on – through the early nineties’ rave-rock masterpiece ”Screamadelica” over the 2000’s electronica-punk infused “XTRMTR” Primal Scream have showcased nothing but diversity for better or for worse.

On their newest effort, “Chaosmosis”, the outfit once again showcases a mild sense of morphing. Not towards anything in particular, but rather in the sense that “Chaosmosis” seems to embody many of the specific traits defining various points in the Primal Scream discography. Take for instance album opener “Trippin’ on Your Love” which features notable similarities to Primal Scream as of 1991, with its danceable groove and somewhat acid house inspired soundscape. The track features the HAIM sisters for no other reason to sing out the title of track in endless succession in a way that practically embodies the very spirit of the “Screamadelica”-era material where front-man Bobby Gillespie’s rough vocals stood as the contrast to the beautiful female backing vocals always lurking in the background to make things slightly bigger and more indulgent in all the right ways.

“(Feeling Like A) Demon Again” embodies the very essence of minimalist synth-pop and is actually a strange highlight of the album. Gillespie’s vocals convey a rather vulnerable and intimate atmosphere that is actually relatively new rare in the Primal Scream sound – with other examples being the albums “Vanishing Point” and “Evil Heat”. Rare or not, however, “(Feeling Like A) Demon Again” and “I Can Change” both convey very intimate atmospheres and stand out as surprising highlights of “Chaosmosis”.

“Autumn in Paradise” on the other hand seems far too ambitious for its own good, constantly seeming like its building towards something without ever really going anywhere truly worth the wait. The hook of the track seems like a letdown compared to the wait and together with “Carnival of Fools” it comes off as the album’s definitive weak points where the hooks are simply not up to the usual Primal Scream standard, whilst the soundscapes also sound like rehashes of old endeavors with nothing specifically new to offer – the difference between them and “Trippin’ on Your Love” then being that “Trippin’…” actually works quite well under those circumstances.

In essence, “Chaosmosis” once again sees Primal Scream evolving into something slightly different from before, but it does so with less focus than on previous efforts, suggesting a thirst for a very broad sound without ever managing to couple that thirst with the necessity of coherence.

Download: Trippin’ On Your Love, (Feeling Like A) Demon Again, Where the Light Gets in
For the fans of: New Order, Happy Mondays, The Verve
Listen: Facebook

Release date 18.03.2016
Ignition