Primal Scream have always been a contrary band. Bobby Gillespie, their magnetic frontman, is their finest weapon and their greatest stumbling block –they have often produced their best work when Gillespie has been freed from other shackles and allowed to do what he does best. See Screamadelica, made with Andrew Weatherall, and Xtrmntr (“Vowels are fascist,” he decreed), which benefited from the tinkering of My Bloody Valentine visionary Kevin Shields.

The Scottish band have often veered between extremes, moving from Xtrmntr’s pulsing krautrock to Evil Heat’s brooding electro-rock and then the Stones-style swagger of Riot City Blues. Their latest, Beautiful Future, brings a defiant pop sensibility and is arguably the most immediate record they’ve ever made.

The electro-pop sheen of Uptown is like New Order cross-pollinated with 1980s soul, and the synth-heavy sound seems to fit Gillespie’s voice, which is alternately rooted in cool detachment and snake-hipped insouciance. The Glory of Love introduces a metronomic krautrock feel, with swirls and drones reminiscent of Teutonic masters yet contrasted with fey handclaps beamed straight from a Motown classic.

For a band on their ninth album, it’s extraordinary to hear Primal Scream sounding this energised, rampant and vital. A great return to form.

Simon Harper

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