Song of the Week – Plimsoll Punks, Alvvays & Crash, The Primitives

IGNORED OBSCURED RESTORED

I always have a running list of song ideas for my weekly missive. “Crash” by The Primitives has been on it for a long time. I can’t really put my finger on the reason that I haven’t written about it sooner. But my inspiration to catch up comes from another band I’ve been listening to – Alvvays.

Alvvays (pronounced Always) is an outfit from Nova Scotia that’s now based out of Toronto. They released their second album, Antisocialites, last September. The SotW is “Plimsoll Punks.”

The first time I heard this burst of indie pop my mind began swirling with the antecedents that I was hearing in Alvvays sound. I heard Camera Obscura, a bit of Cocteau Twins and a super-sized serving of the Primitives.

There we go!!! I now have the connection I was looking for to include “Crash.”

The Primitives made a splash in 1988 with their album Lovely. Beside “Crash” the album had another song, “Way Behind Me,” that snatched a lot of airplay on indie and college radio stations.

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy… until next week.

2 thoughts on “Song of the Week – Plimsoll Punks, Alvvays & Crash, The Primitives

  1. I like both of these but especially “Crash.” One of those songs that should have been an AM hit.

    “Plimsoll Punks” makes me laugh at myself and everyone else, as it reminds me that all it takes to create “atmosphere” is reverb. But that’s cool. Nice layered guitars.

  2. The Primitives’ tune is a little like weak Blondie (and many others). Which is probably why it didn’t hit, but it is also totally charming. It should have been a hit, but it isn’t surprising it wasn’t. It was 10 years too late.

    The Alvvays tune sounds good. I like the lyrics. But the subject is small. Have to hear more.

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