Prima Queen - “Butter Knife”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 3

Pairs Well With…Kae Tempest, Cassandra Jenkins, Wet Leg

Prima Queen’s latest single “Butter Knife” is a triumph, a symphonic pop track that builds from a whisper and build into a grand statement of strings, vocals, and post-rock soundscapes. Bolstered by fascinating speak-sing vocals, the British duo create a serious and urgent energy that matches the natural tension in the song. The early-career highlight for Prima Queen is just their sixth single since 2019’s “Milk Teeth” and that efficiency is notable. There isn’t a dud amongst them. The bright hooks and moody verses of “Eclipse”, the psych-rock escape in “Chew My Cheeks”, the cozy, breezy “Brownstone” - it’s a wide set of offerings that in whole show a band with both range and songcraft played like a card drawn from back pockets. (Kevin McStravick)