Utopian Ashes
Feigning coupledom, the two singers offer a fictionalized divorce album modeled after the tear-jerking country, soul, and pop duets of yesteryear. They flirt with camp without ever succumbing to it.
Rock'n'rollers singing heartbroken country duets? It sounds dystopian on paper – but this thoughtful collaboration surprises and delivers
A set which takes its cues from the laws of straight-up rock, country and a pinch of Motown.
Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth have such distinctive styles that it should be easy to predict what a collaboration from them might sound like.
With their collaborative album, Utopian Ashes, the Primal Scream and Savages stars create a barren landscape of tumbleweed and emotional baggage, and invite you to step into their world.
Initially, Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth may seem like an odd pairing for an album of swampy southern soul. On one hand, you have Gillespie, frontman of Primal Scream, and an elder statesman of indie rock, retro psych rock, and alternative dance music. On the other, you have Beth, known best for her abrasive post punk with Savages and for her own esoteric solo experiments.
Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth’s friendship was born from a deep love of music, a profound respect for one another’s art, and a sly,
The Primal Scream frontman trades brashness for contemplation in this rewarding collaboration with the former Savages singer
Utopian Ashes by Bobby Gillespie & Jehnny Beth Album Review by Brody Kenny. The duo's full-length comes out on July 2, via Third Man Records
The songs cut deeply and coherently into adult relationships as they simmer and immolate. Album review by Nick Hasted