Prima Queen - Not The Baby

With just a scattering of releases so far, Prima Queen has thus far kept their cards close to their chest: vivid storytelling uniting songs that range from sparse rock to energetic country. Not much has changed on debut EP ‘Not The Baby’. ‘Back Row’ opens with beautiful harmonies over a driving backbeat, echoing Big Thief at their most insistent. By contrast, ‘Crow’ is withdrawn and vulnerable, using a broad palette of strings and trumpet to create a uniquely eerie atmosphere akin to Bon Iver. Given a project rather than a single, it seems the band are more willing to experiment with the range of their sound, although they still leave space for hook-led indie, best demonstrated on ‘Dylan’ and its cascading melodies. The joint lead vocals of Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden are what shine throughout, and it’s only in spite of this that ‘Not The Baby’ sometimes drifts into the pedestrian. But when Prima Queen are in their stride, they have so many moments to prove they can match great songwriting with bold choices.