Album Review: Utopian Ashes by Bobby Gillespie

Initially, Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth may seem like an odd pairing for an album of swampy southern soul. On one hand, you have Gillespie, frontman of Primal Scream, and an elder statesman of indie rock, retro psych rock, and alternative dance music. On the other, you have Beth, known best for her abrasive post-punk with Savages and for her own esoteric solo experiments.

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Homes. Luxury British saloon cars from the 1970s. A waltz. There are a few things for which being described as stately is expected. The music of Savages or Primal Scream probably do not number amongst the most obvious examples. Yet here we are, with Utopian Ashes, a collaboration between the lead ….

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Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth's friendship was born from a deep love of music, a profound respect for one another's art, and a sly, subversive sense of humour. Clash spoke to both artists about this new collaborative album earlier in the year, and the two spent the entirety of the conversation swapping little known reference points and generally taking the piss. Initially recorded during a whirlwind five days in Paris, 'Utopian Ashes' was intended as a no-pressure situation, a means of making music for the sake of making music.

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