CD Reviews: Primal Scream Shuffles, Lily Allen Soars

Primal Scream - Riot City Blues (Columbia): The Primals seem to have found a time machine. This disc sounds more like a follow-up to 1994's Stones-rock Give Out But Don't Give Up rather than anything they've done in the decade since. The electronics and experimentation from Vanishing Point on are all gone, replaced by throwaway lyrics like "Gotta keep on keepin' on," Rod Stewarty 'Maggie May'-style mandolins, and blues shuffles that place them firmly in Dadrock territory. While there's no doubt that the noisy sample-heavy phase of the Primals had run its course, it's hard to see this album as anything but a placeholder or (worse) a retreat. It sounds like it could've been made in a week, and while the songs are mostly fun, there's a lot of filler. Our advice: Primals fans should head for iTunes to grab 'Country Girl', 'Dolls', 'When The Bomb Drops' and 'Hell's Comin' Down' for four bucks, and let the rest of this one be.

Primal Scream - Country Girl [YouTube]
Primal Scream - Dolls [YouTube]

Lily Allen - Alright, Still (Capitol): The UK's summer album of 2006 won't hit the US until chilly January, but this disc is widely available via Canadian import for $14 online. It's nearly impossible not to compare Ms. Allen to Mike Skinner and the Streets, since both deliver dead funny, sometimes cruel story-songs about English life drinking in pubs, suffering through bad dates, and fighting with friends. While The Streets didn't really translate to American radio, Allen's songs come off as light as The Spice Girls if you're not listening to the lyrics. When you begin to, though, you'll likely grin from ear to ear when noticing lyrics like "I see it's a pimp and his crack whore" or "Are you stupid? Or just a little slow?" The songs mostly concern kiss-offs to ex-boyfriends, the ugly side of London, and fending off drunkards in bars. The fact that such well-worn subject matter comes off as fresh and funny is no small feat, and while you might find yourself a little embarrassed to like such a poppy, goofy record, you will like it. A lot. The choruses soar, the barbs are sharp, and the head-bobbing beats are nonstop. Well done.

Lily Allen - Smile [YouTube]
Lily Allen - LDN [YouTube]

Lily Allen image via Amazon.