Primer

Claire from Primer recently got in touch to see what we thought of some of their tracks. Formed in 2007, Primer are a 4-piece female fronted rock ground offering a distinctive, inimitable style of Celtic inspired vocals with strong expressive guitars, powerful intense drums and an emotive, resonating bass – which all sounds well and good, but what’s the music like?
Opening with Water, the guitars pave the way into the track taking full form, matching precisely what the band say on their bio. The bas is kept high in the mix which allows the sound to fully resonate around you whilst the vocals sooth over everything and add a sense of smooth harmony to proceedings. The drum line throughout the track adds pace to the song, something which is matched by the guitar line which alternates between solid riffs and intricate lead lines, the whole mix forming something which is easy to access and will pull you in to hear more. The vocals demonstrate their Celtic influences throughout, adding a further level to the depth of the track and really making this something which you can listen to and not be offended by. I particularly like the way the band have managed to combine hard and soft here, there’s a feeling that they’re almost holding back at times, but it works well.
Smoke And Mirror follows on and seems to demonstrate that whilst the band can hold back and keep things melodic, they can also produce funky tracks which are sure to get you moving along with them. The guitar line here is the key driving force behind things and really pulls you in to the track, you can’t help but feel engaged throughout this one. I really like the rolling double bass pedal which they’ve put in behind the roving guitar line here as well, it further develops this track from a relatively simplistic rock track into something more advanced, and something which is hard to pigeon-hole into a particular genre! Raw at times, there’s a sense of the power these guys have got at their disposal here, something which hints and heavier roots and influences, and something which I really like! Of the tracks on their website, I would say this is probably my personal favourite, there’s just something here which works on a hard rock level, but also on a more soothing level.
I Am Your Anger closes proceedings here and leaves you without a shadow of a doubt that this is a band with a mission. The track is well written, the guitars pounding once again and the drums further lift everything into something which you can’t help but listen to. The vocals do seem to lack power at times on this one, but that’s more than compensated for in the music so it doesn’t affect the success of the track (it should also be noted that this is a first recording as well). In all, as a closing track this does what it sets out to do, leaves you wanting more and looking forward to the next instalment.
Primer strike me as a band who are on track to achieve what they want to do, they’ve got a style which you can’t help but enjoy even if it’s not the most technically advanced music you’ve ever heard. The music is raw yet refined, powerful yet soothing, and throughout the tracks you find yourself just stopping what ever you’re doing and sitting back to listen. I look forward to hearing what comes next from these guys as I reckon there’s a fair bit of promise here, keep at it!
To find out more about Primer, check out their website HERE.
Opening with Water, the guitars pave the way into the track taking full form, matching precisely what the band say on their bio. The bas is kept high in the mix which allows the sound to fully resonate around you whilst the vocals sooth over everything and add a sense of smooth harmony to proceedings. The drum line throughout the track adds pace to the song, something which is matched by the guitar line which alternates between solid riffs and intricate lead lines, the whole mix forming something which is easy to access and will pull you in to hear more. The vocals demonstrate their Celtic influences throughout, adding a further level to the depth of the track and really making this something which you can listen to and not be offended by. I particularly like the way the band have managed to combine hard and soft here, there’s a feeling that they’re almost holding back at times, but it works well.
Smoke And Mirror follows on and seems to demonstrate that whilst the band can hold back and keep things melodic, they can also produce funky tracks which are sure to get you moving along with them. The guitar line here is the key driving force behind things and really pulls you in to the track, you can’t help but feel engaged throughout this one. I really like the rolling double bass pedal which they’ve put in behind the roving guitar line here as well, it further develops this track from a relatively simplistic rock track into something more advanced, and something which is hard to pigeon-hole into a particular genre! Raw at times, there’s a sense of the power these guys have got at their disposal here, something which hints and heavier roots and influences, and something which I really like! Of the tracks on their website, I would say this is probably my personal favourite, there’s just something here which works on a hard rock level, but also on a more soothing level.
I Am Your Anger closes proceedings here and leaves you without a shadow of a doubt that this is a band with a mission. The track is well written, the guitars pounding once again and the drums further lift everything into something which you can’t help but listen to. The vocals do seem to lack power at times on this one, but that’s more than compensated for in the music so it doesn’t affect the success of the track (it should also be noted that this is a first recording as well). In all, as a closing track this does what it sets out to do, leaves you wanting more and looking forward to the next instalment.
Primer strike me as a band who are on track to achieve what they want to do, they’ve got a style which you can’t help but enjoy even if it’s not the most technically advanced music you’ve ever heard. The music is raw yet refined, powerful yet soothing, and throughout the tracks you find yourself just stopping what ever you’re doing and sitting back to listen. I look forward to hearing what comes next from these guys as I reckon there’s a fair bit of promise here, keep at it!
To find out more about Primer, check out their website HERE.