Slinky-hipped bowlcut Bobby Gillespie has spoken out about Primal Scream’s latest album, the loss of a bandmate and his glam rock influences.
Released on July 21, Beautiful Future, the band’s ninth studio album, is set to be an ode to early hair rock, vintage British pop rock and dark electro.
Speaking to The Sun this week the frontman seems very fond of the relatively new direction: “Our guitarist Andrew (Innes) began playing the guitar in a different way... very angular, very precise, very machine-like.”
Could this have anything to do with Bloc Party and The Rakes producer Paul Epworth onboard?
“Riot City Blues was garagey, grungey, bluesy, high-energy rock but there are no real blues notes this time round. The songs that came were very pop, almost bubblegum.
“The album is joyful but the band has always had that. Tracks like ‘Movin’ On Up’ and ‘Rocks’ are completely ecstatic. That’s what I like.”
One obstacle the band had to overcome was the lose of long-term guitarist Robert ‘Throb’ Young, an old schoolfriend of Gillespie.
“I love Robert. I mean he was one of the songwriters with me and Andrew. We wrote Screamadelica and Give Out But Don’t Give Up together. We were a great partnership but other things come into play. People’s lives change.”
The band isn’t going to wallow in the despair of being a man down though. Beautiful Future is to dress up the Primal Screams tendencies for stomping militarism and sweating rock & roll in sequins and big bad stompin’ boots. “We love glam rock,” explained Bobby G.
“What The Beatles were for people in the Sixties is what glam rock was for us. We love Glitter, we love Bolan, we love Roxy, we love Suzi Quatro ... 48 Crash is great.”
Fallen star Gary Glitter seems to be of particular inspiration to the singer: “We love Glitter’s big drums and big chants. Basically, we love glam. You can’t be glam enough, especially these days.”
The album will feature collaborations with Lovefoxx (CSS), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss) and folk legend Linda Thompson.
This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.
Words: Dean Samways
Image: the Quietus
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