Album Review: Primal Scream – Chaosmosis
2 min read
With the recent resurgence in popularity of late 80s and 90s rock and indie-rock music, Primal Scream has fast become one of the most underrated groups of this significant era. Formed in 1982, it wasn’t until nearly a decade later with the release of Screamadelica that their music made a significant impact in the mainstream. Constantly active, but never as prominent since this 1991 release, it is now in 2016 that the band has released their eleventh studio album Chaosmosis.
Trippin’ on your love, the opening track of the album in question, perfectly captures the optimistic, sound of indie-rock bands such as the Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays whilst somehow modernising the music’s aesthetic with the introduction of electronically produced elements. However it does not appear that this is the consensus of the album, in fact finding any sort of consensus appears to be problematic – almost as if chaos is central to the albums motifs. Tracks such as Demon Again and Private Wars offer a far more somber and dark insight into the bands creative process in completely different ways; the first relying on a hard driven drum beat and electronic samples whereas the latter is a largely acoustic affair – both melancholy in sentiment. Arguably the darkest feature on the track listing is When The Blackout Meets The Fallout; this track is short and boarders on anarchic, singing of a “deal with the devil” and the “price of existence”. In contrast though, I Can Change offers a brief glimmer of sanguinity through the patchy shroud of nihilism that engulfs the aforementioned songs.
Golden Rope is in essence a quintessential indie-rock number, whereas Carnival Of Fools sounds in the most part like it was lifted from a Super Nintendo game. There really is a vast repertoire of sounds and techniques being explored on this album; maybe a little to vast for the tastes of some but nevertheless it is clear that a great deal of work has been put into each entry. Chaosmosis plays out much in the same manner it begins, renovating this once again popular era of music with their own take on modernity.
Chaos is the lack of any noticeable or concurrent pattern, it is then with Chaosmosis the band explore this notion; wildly varying sounds have been thrown into the mix to create Primal Scream’s weightiest contribution to album craft since Screamadelica in 1991. Chaos by name, chaos by nature, but still a thoroughly enjoyable listen.
