Strange and Primitive - Self-titled Album Review

Having previously worked under the name Audiograft, Strange & Primitive are duo Graham Fish and Jeff Musgrave. The change of name coincided with a different musical direction, the results of which are found on this self-titled debut, with film cited as an inspiration for its creation.

It becomes clear very quickly that S&P have made this record for themselves and not as a commercial venture - an approach which some will applaud. The results however are unimpressive, though the carnival rhythm that opens 'Difficulties Be Damned' initially points to something very different. Hope soon fades and like 'Eureka', it is far from a mind-blowing listen. 'I Don't Like Music' drags painfully through a tone popular three decades ago, with synthesised sounds that crop up time and again on tracks such as 'Keep Your Eyes On Daylight' and 'Seduced By Bluff' amongst others. It is only the soft 'Cloud Peak' that draws any real interest, capturing a glorious tranquillity that compliments the falsetto vocals, but it's far from the rescuing of an album that simply fails to earn any semblance of attention.