They've been around since 1983 and this album is their first set of new recordings since 1990 but that garage rock vibe hasn't been diluted by the passing of time. Guitar bands - proper reverb laden miscreants hid in every shadow - were big back then but not many have survived. In fact, very few indeed. The Primevals have, though.
This album is punctuated with their trademark slide guitar sound and is none the worse for that. As you might expect from a band that has been around for such a length of time, they play tight and fast. Michael Rooney still belts it out like a man infected with the MC5 virus and Malcolm McDonald breaches his guitar's rights with some stylishly aggressive moves. That dry west of Scotland sense of humour still shines through as well especially in "Country Music Hall of Fame".
There's classic Primevals moments to savour like the twisting maelstrom of "Then My Thoughts Turned Toxic, Baby" and the pumped up "Take Me Out and Shoot Me" that should be a lesson to the indie rock pretenders of today. Yes, you can max out your guitar and still use more than three chords!
It might be an odd thing to say but the Primevals sound as fresh as they always did. Then again, garage rock is discontent given musical form and we won't be running out of discontent anytime soon.
Available by worldwide mail order from CD Baby.