The Primitives

Primitives – Spin-o-rama
(Elefant Records)

With pop melodies, Paul Court’s classic jangly guitars and Tracy Tracy’s sweet vocals the British band the Primitives shot out of England around the same time Jesus and Mary Chain, the Wedding Resent and My Bloody Valentine were gaining traction in the US. Their career came to a halt almost as quickly as it started but after several years apart they reassembled in 2009 and have now delivered a new album loaded with new tunes. With everything music listeners loved about the band packed into the 11 song album Spin-o-Rama picks up right where the Primitives left off. The opening track, “Spin-o-Rama”, welcomes listeners into the album with infectious guitars and catchy lyrics. Songs like “Petals” and “Lose the Reason” follow that same formula and when they step away from it things really get good. They harness a 60’s garage pop vibe on “Velvet Valley”, they take things in a little harder direction on “Hidden In The Shadows” and Paul Court on “Working Isn’t Working” may be the best song on the record. From start to finish Spin-o-Rama is a fun listen loaded with sounds that are pleasing to the ear. The Primitives make it look easy as they dish out tunes that are every bit as good as their earlier music delivering 80’s infused pop music without sounding stale and rehashed. Spin-o-rama is a surprising addition to the wealth of good music being released in 2014.