Review of new Primal Static record entitled ‘Panstylistic’

On Jan. 27, Primal Static will release their new record entitled Panstylistic. The electro-rock-blues band demonstrates instrumental skill and promise.

On Jan. 27, Primal Static will release their new record entitled Panstylistic. The duo is comprised of American rock-blues musician G.T. and Chinese pianist HouFei. These artists combine their differing training, cultures and styles into one cohesive sound here.

Panstylistic opens with “Fall Before Your Pride.” Here, purposefully sour vocals layer over piercing guitars and weighted percussion. The tune starts off strong and is quick to capture listener attention. However, as it progresses, interest waivers. Maintaining the same lyrical rhythm throughout seems to work against Primal Static in this track. Eventually, a welcome guitar solo regains listener focus. Despite a slight waiver, this is an overall solid opening to the album.

Track two on this record is called “Sofia.” A gentler tune, it recalls certain ‘60s vocal sensibilities. G.T.’s seemingly distant voice here weaves together with straightforward, head-bobbing rhythms and marked reverb. Listeners imagine listening to this over a game of pool on a slow night at the bar.

“To Live” comes up next on Panstylistic. Wailing guitar riffs secure listener attention from the start. When the vocals enter, they are heavily infused with a blues-rock inclination. A pleasantly dragging beat accompanies this tune. A very successful track – it lacks only fuller bodied vocal tones to match the guitar and blues vibe.

Panstylistic closes out with “Come Back To Me.” This tune comes out of the gate with an interesting rhythm that will get audience’s toes tapping. The vocals here are awkwardly timed – requiring either more of a sense of unfettered emotion or a smoother rhythm to be effective.

Overall, Primal Static produced a solid effort with Panstylistic. There are some bumps in the record and it would have been interesting to hear HouFei’s classical piano training play a more notable role here. However, the technical and performance skill of these artists when playing their instruments is clear. The duo shows great promise and audiences will look forward to seeing what comes next.