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Prime Circle - All or Nothing

All Or Nothing is their big push to that end and it’s pretty damn slick, to be honest. Whether Theo Crous had some major impact as producer or maybe due to undiluted purpose, it’s a record that outright refuses to get sloppy.

Almost every song could pass for a single on campus radio, but a few tracks seem destined for greater glory. Give “Consider Me” a black & white music video with sick dogs and poor children looking straight into the camera and you’ve got MTV gold. Or do you?

Rock has moved on. Just like grunge killed hair metal, indie and a bunch of post-everything genres have been stomping on alternative rock’s shallow grave for some years now. The kids like Fall Out Boy. The kids like Wolfmother.
But just before we start weeping for Prime Circle, remember the Chad. No one told Mr Kroeger and his Canadian shop window Nickelback that it wasn’t cool to love the 90s and look how they’re doing. Sitting pretty on a money pile.

Hard rock fans will latch on to “Out of this place” for Ross Learmouth’s agonised vocals, but it’s a lone wolf. The rest of the album is full of melody chasing rock anthems. “She always gets what she wants”, for instance, is one of those songs that’s destined to be heard everywhere, and will probably end up in a shampoo commercial.

Prime Circle aren’t a lyrics driven band, but they do know what they want to write about. Bad stuff, sad stuff, even if it’s only mentioned in a very roundabout way. What proves their talent is in making these negative themes become something beautiful through music. As Chad knows, that’s a moneymaker.

If you’re completely over alternative rock, spare yourself the contempt and buy something else. If, however, you’ve been looking for someone to get angsty with, baggy jeans style, you need to hear this.

- Niel Bekker
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