The Motor Primitives by The Motor Primitives

COM, January 7, 2006

CD Review: 'The Motor Primivites' (Boat Records)

by Todd Beemis

As an avid collector of vintage 80's pop/new wave vinyl, I spend hours in thrift stores. And for every twenty Foreigner records, you find one solid gem. I'm pleased to report that The Motor Primitives are like hitting a mother lode of Pretenders, Split Enz, Squeeze... hell, I swear there's even some X in there.

It's probably impossible to write a review of The Motor Primitives without remarking on lead singer Pam Barrett's uncanny channeling of a certain Ms. Chrissy Hynde. That said, hers is much more than a lazy imitation of rock's ultimate supervixen voice - instead, Barrett seems to be saluting a personal heroine while doing a damn fine job of making her own mark on pop rock and roll.

You want glistening, trebley guitars? Check. You want everything from lo-fi rollicks to an almost Martin Denny-esque bossa nova? Check. You want full-on rockers? Well, the Primitives offer those, as well.

Some of the musicianship isn't perfect here, but that's not the point. Fans of timeless party rock will enjoy this CD, and the real winners are those lucky college kids in Madison who get to experience them live - I bet it's a real kick.

These guys are great fun - and they saved me a whole afternoon of rooting in the thrift store record bins because all the sounds I'm looking for are right here, on one CD.

THE CAPITAL TIMES THURSDAY JUNE 16, 2005

CD review: The Motor Primitives (Boat Records)

By Rob Thomas

I had expected something a little brasher and rawer from a band that in a recent press release exhorted local media to (and I'm paraphrasing here) "get your finger out of your nose and come see our live show."

But the debut album from Madison's The Motor Primitives isn't so brash at all. In fact, it's a dynamite collection of superbly-crafted pop-rock songs that carry real weight. Led by singer-songwriter Pam Barrett, who has the kind of dreamy yet direct singing voice that invites Chrissie Hynde comparisons, the MPs play melodic rock with surprisingly sophisticated arrangements. In all the right ways, this sounds like a band's fifth album, not its first.

A sinewy groove slithers through "Universal Man," while "Behind the Clouds" is a sparkling pop song where guitars and vocals pair up to satisfying effect. The jittery "He Said, She Said" and the hypnotic seven-minute-long "Beautiful Mind" show the band can rock the house when they want to. But this is a rock album for grown-ups, one invites the listener inside rather than rushing out to greet them, and certainly one of the finest local debuts of the year.

REVIEW OF A LIVE SHOW ON APRIL, 17th, 2005:

...Then The Motor Primitives, fronted by SASYNA neighbor Pam Barrett (guitar, vocals), wowed a packed house with smart, punchy pop hooks that had the crowd buzzing.

For the last half-dozen tunes in The Motor Primitives set, even SASYNA chair Dan "Gramps" Melton was spotted up on the dance floor, flailing away. He hopped down from his stool, threw away his crutches, and yelled "Pam! I can walk!" It was the first time in 60 years he'd stood up and danced at a bar. He said, afterwards, he hasn't heard pop hooks that infectious and well-written from a local band since Spooner.

-Dan Melton

REVIEW OF A LIVE SHOW ON APRIL 8th, 2005:

.... the Motor Primitives (whose name derives from neuroscience, not the grease pit) are definitely a serious band. Frankly, watching them gallop through an hour-long set of melodic, strangely portentous folk-rock at the Slipper Club last week, I was struck by how much focus and drive they display on stage. You won't find any punky flailing in a Motor Primitives set, just a practiced foursome putting over well-turned folk-rock. In front of a modest, friendly crowd, chief songwriter Pam Barrett employed a throaty, quavering vocal style on hooky '60s-flavored originals like "Perfect World" and "Look Away" and communicated an emotional maturity that just isn't apparent in most local singers. The interplay between drummer Robin Davies, bassist Matthew Sanborn and guitarist Spring also added an extra level of complexity to Barrett's songs.

Having studio habitué Sanborn and longtime local musician Davies (Tar Babies, Booty Froot, the Bar Tabbies, etc.) in the band clearly helps ground the Motor Primitives. But having experienced players involved may not be as important as the band's very visible willingness to bring out - and, when it's appropriate, lean on - each other's strengths. After just two years of playing local clubs, the members of the Motor Primitives have learned their place in the music and are more than willing to subsume individual ambitions for the sake of a compelling group sound.

-Tom Laskin, Isthmus, April 15th

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