For a band who've been together in some shape or form since 1982, Primal Scream haven't got the most prolific track record. Only nine albums in a twenty-six year period? Even Damien Rice could do better than that. Furthermore, four or more of those nine are made redundant by an absence of quality tunes - something even the most ardent 'Scream fan could grudgingly admit.
Perhaps being the purveyors of a genre-defining album like Screamadelica was ultimately to their detriment; although the Glasgow-formed rockers have had some brilliant singles since their 1991 magnum opus (Miss Lucifer, Swastika Eyes), their output has been inconsistent, and even a change in direction (bluesy/pysch/gospel) on their last album Riot City Blues was unconvincing.
With Beautiful Future, they've made something of a return to their early days, though, and there are some half-decent songs here. The title track is a strong opener, a sassy rock number replete with church bells that gives a cheeky nod to late '90s Britpop. Uptown's dark, soulful funk is well-produced, as is most of the material here - thanks to Bjorn 'Peter Bjorn and John' Yttling and Paul 'Phones' Epworth - and The Glory of Love's murky bassline leads nifty electronica undercurrents with authority.
The three guest appearances (from Linda Thompson, Lovefoxxx and Josh Homme) vary in quality, however. Thompson's duet with Bobby Gillespie (Over and Over) is plain awful, a downbeat, out-of-place drearfest. CSS singer Lovefoxxx fares slightly better with her futuristic, effects-intensive I Love To Hurt.., but it's Homme that adds some much-needed vigour and urgency into ballsy rock number Necro Hex Blues.
Overall, Beautiful Future suffers from the same fate as much of Primal Scream's other material - an unwillingness to settle on one particular style for the sake of attempted, expected innovation. As a result, there's an unsettling divergence running throughout the album. Are Primal Scream the quintessential 'jacks of all trades, masters of none'? This would certainly suggest so.
