Published on Oct 16, 2017
Good news: Primus is back with their classic lineup and the first release of original material with Tim Alexander since around 2003. Bad news: it’s seven songs and thirty-four minutes long, so what you wind up with is an EP. The album is based on a children’s storybook that Les Claypool read to his kids when they were little entitled The Rainbow Goblins. So basically, the record is a soundtrack to a kids’ book.
Opening track “The Valley” gives a detailed description of the story and the goblins and it provides a starter kit for what you’re about to hear. As always, the musicianship is on par with their best ‘90s material. “The Valley” is just a bit too weird to find its way onto anyone’s iPod, but at least the music works. “The Seven” feels more like a traditional Primus track and sounds really good featuring by Ler, drums by Herb, and almost oddly normal vocals by Les. It’s a track that works and is definitely a standout here.
In contrast, “The Dream” doesn’t work at all and seems like it’s just there to test the patience of fans like myself. It feels like a song that just won’t allow itself to get started; it just never really goes anywhere and just sits there. “The Trek” is one of two nearly eight minute tracks, featuring a nice acoustic intro that leads itself into a mid-‘90s type jam that sounds pretty damn good and might remind some older Primus fans of some Brown Album type tunes.
All in all, this is a decent enough record, but it gets a few points deducted for being too short and not having enough material. Back in the ‘90s, this would’ve been a stopgap in between studio records But now, it feels we’ll have to wait another three years; maybe this time we’ll get a real, proper studio album.