Primal Scream – Beautiful Future[B-Unique Records; 22/07/2008]
Primal Scream are the ultimate fun-time collage band. Since their existence, every album they've cut has pointed towards one thing; good times. Whether it be popping acid to sounds of Screamadelica or vacuuming powder through your nose to the shear noise of Xtrmntr or Evil Heat, good times have always been at the helm.
Beautiful Future fails to get sidetracked from Primal Scream's artful concept, yet again engineering a different sound that still adds the uplifting vibe one feels when encountering an album from the Scream team. If anything, this album booms with a pop swagger. Gillespie rehashes lyrics through respective songs, with a looping combustion backed by an easy-on-the-ear instrumentation.
As lead single, 'The Glory of Love' is the pure representation of 'Future and of the above notion. 'Zombie Man' is a dance swoon with Gillespie's druggy rasps accompanied by a backing soul sprawl through the chorus of guest-vocals. 'Beautiful Summer' has a darker edge about it, being the opaque number out of the bunch, with zoned out keyboards and a slower riff spooling through its entirety. 'Over and Over' sounds like Screamdelica's 'Damaged', that's just come out of the 'other side'.
Beautiful Future contains the underpinning of the Scream's direction from earlier on in this era, with a pop glee sprawling through the middle of their canon. Songs seem to flow into one another, literally fading out and starting again like smooth waves rolling into the beach front from the ocean. The sounds vary, but the lyrics from Gillespie are very repetitious, much the same as a cracked record. The simplicity of the record could segregate followers, but it continues to reaffirm the stance of a band that will not be pigeonholed. It's not the best Primal Scream record, but it certainly isn't their worst.
By Simon K
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