Album: Primal Scream, Beautiful Future (B-Unique)

Andy Gill
Thursday 17 July 2008 19:00 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

For all the references to "burning cars" and "bodies hanging from the trees" in the title track – not to mention the number title "Suicide Bomb" – Beautiful Future is a very meek beast, the most cowed Primal Scream have sounded in years and a long, long way from the fiery cauldron of Evil Heat's "electronic garage-band rock'n'roll" in 2002.

This is another of their regressions into rock classicism – there's even a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Over & Over", done as a frazzled slide-guitar blues. The usual Stones and Krautrock influences are stirred into most effective shape on the single "Can't Go Back", their latest drug comedown anthem. Elsewhere, the ultimately malign influence of producer Bjorn Yttling has resulted in enervated disco-pop ("Uptown"), flaccid electropop ("The Glory of Love") and trudging heavy rock ("Suicide Bomb") – though none is quite as tiresome as the Youth-produced nadir of "Zombie Man", which is basically "Back Off Boogaloo" crossed with "Tokoloshe Man", a hybrid of little discernible point or utility.

Pick of the album:'Can't Go Back', 'Beautiful Future'

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in