Primal Scream - "Ivy, Ivy, Ivy"

The next installment in my listening to/obsessing about/writing about the records I found in Scotland blog post series...


I'll admit it, I know far less about Primal Scream then I probably should. What I do know are trivial anecdotes, and personal feelings. Things like other bands Bobby Gillespie was in, and the fact that to me, "Gentle Tuesday" sounds like the aural equivalent of a deeply satisfying heavy sigh. I hold questionable opinions on the band's material. I prefer the title track A-side of their "Crystal Crescent" single to it's much revered B-side "Velocity Girl." I prefer Xtrmntr to Screamadelica. So when the "Ivy, Ivy, Ivy" 7" was held up to me at a record store in Edinburgh to be considered for purchase, I had to pause for awhile to wonder if I had actually heard the song, or if I just recognized the title. I was pretty sure that it was the latter, and when I arrived home and finally put the record on my turntable my suspicion was confirmed.

"Ivy, Ivy, Ivy" is a good song. It's fun, it's catchy beyond belief, and though many have probably analyzed this next statement to far greater effect than I ever could, it seems to serve as a nice bridge between the band's somewhat subtle pop past, and their considerably bigger rock future. Pop melody and lyrical theme, rock execution allt the way.

On the other hand, the B-side "You're Just Too Dark too Care" is a slow burning ember that never sparks a flame. Soft, pensive, remarkably pretty, and like "Gentle Tuesday," this one too gives me the feeling of an aural sigh. I once heard someone describe "sypathetic chords," chord progressions that were almost certain to receive a positive response from a listener. Any time I describe a song as an aural sigh, I can't help thinking that the song must contain some seriously sympathetic chords.

In a way this might be Primal Scream making the most of the best parts of certain sounds that they primarily operated within. Mostly these are just two very pleasant songs hear, and should guarantee a positive response every time.