The Primitives - Lovely (25th Anniversary Edition) (2013)

The Primitives' sound pretty much defines the lighter side of British pop in the late '80s: straight-ahead pop melodies, tinged with a bit of Manchester danceability and shoegazer experimentation. Some of the Primitives' more "pop" songs are a bit too straightforward and bland, but the majority of Lovely is well-written enough to make up for the occasional lapse into plainness. The album is at its best when the band departs from its pop sound -- the Jesus and Mary Chain-inspired noise of "Spacehead" and "Stop Killing Me," or the Eastern-sounding "Shadow," with its sitar and backwards vocals, stand out as some of the more artistically worthwhile tracks. The Primitives, however, are more about writing hooky pop songs than making great artistic strides; Lovely's most memorable tracks are built around P.J. Court's simple, jangly guitar lines and Tracey's sweet, melodic vocals. If one can look past the fact that their brand of Brit-pop sounds a bit dated, the Primitives are a consistently exciting listen.

Back in the mid-80s, The Primitives combined the fuzz guitars of The Jesus and Mary Chain with the pop sensibilities of Blondie and a nod to cult heroes The Velvet Underground. They swiftly rose from being a popular Indie guitar outfit to charting worldwide with Crash, kickstarting a craze in bands fronted by blonde female singers (Transvision Vamp, The Darling Buds et al). Lovely was The Primitives' debut album. Issued in April 1988 on the back of the success of Crash, it peaked at No. 6 in the UK, staying on the charts for ten weeks.

This 2-CD set boasts most of the band's B-sides and other rare tracks from that successful year, as well as including those hit singles in full: Crash (February 1988) No. 5, Out Of Reach (April 1988) No. 25 and Way Behind Me (September 1988) No. 36. Compiled with the help of guitarist PJ Court, this 2-CD compilation boasts re-mastered music.