REVIEW: Prima Queen – The Prize

Having randomly caught Prima Queen at a festival last year, I have been excited to see what they would bring when their debut album finally hit the shelves. Their set caught my attention because of the way they fuse indie sounds and pop sensibilities, and how the two quite different vocalists meld together in such an interesting way. The kind of contrasts that made them so interesting to me on stage are what also make The Prize such an exciting first record for the band.

Starting with the eerie, almost ethereal 42 seconds of ‘Clickbait’ you might be convinced that you’re about to step into something quite experimental and otherworldly. But as that song merges with ‘Mexico’, we’re greeted with something more straightforward – some well-written but simple lyrics put us into the world of a poppy love song, but one that feels like an original and captivating way to introduce the band. The title song comes next, and with its shouted opening of ‘you’re a diamond, you’re a dream, you’re a peach’ you could be forgiven for thinking that we were actually in a standard love song here – but they soon switch the perspective, this actually being a powerful track about ‘a narcissistic idiot who took his eyes off the prize.’

Serious topics aside, this is a fun opening to an album up to this point. ‘Oats (Ain’t Gonna Beg)’ continues that theme with a song that is very reminiscent of some of the more recent Dream Wife albums – an enjoyable, danceable song with strong lyrics about the complications of young love and relationships.

But it’s when we get to ‘Ugly’ that we really see the first of the contradictions that elevate this album. It’s by far the darkest, dingiest sounding song so far. Grungy guitars sit under a less peppy, more growly vocal – they sound really pissed off on this one and, for me at least, it’s the standout moment so far. But then ‘Flying Ant Day’ changes the tone completely, an almost bossa nova beat under a summery song that feels ready made for a bar by a Spanish beach.

These contradictions continue throughout the album, very much proving that this band aren’t one note in any way. ‘Meryl Streep’ might be another song about relationships, but the story it tells is an interesting song, a person coming to terms with ‘moving on’ and what that really means. It’s another song full of great guitar lines that build to a cacophony of sound. And then comes the absolute highlight – ‘Spaceship’ is definitely the most sombre sounding song, the guitar so gentle it is barely there. But the lyrics tell a sad tale that is also full of moments of humour and honesty.

Then, as the album nears an end, they flip flop back into the poppier end of the scale with songs such as ‘Fool’, ‘Woman and Child’, and ‘Sunshine Song.’ These are all great songs in their own regard, but my honest opinion is that the band are at their best in the middle section. ‘More Credit’ finishes the album, and manages to walk a line between the album’s different elements – a ballad which mixes the band’s sound, it’s a solid way to say goodbye for now. Given how long Prima Queen have been releasing EPs and singles, it is probably no great surprise that this album feels as confident as it does. Whatever sound they are dabbling in, they feel like they belong there. While I prefer the songs that err more towards indie sounds, the pop songs are great too – and there will be plenty of people who prefer them. The main takeaway is that, if this album gets the exposure it deserves, they’re the kind of band that can pick up fans from across the spectrum. Make sure you give them a listen before they go big.

Words by Fran Slater