BOBBY AND BETH PRIMED

Think Bobby Gillespie and you probably conjure up an image of the louche singer draped over his mic stand drawling over spaced-out electronica or superheavy rock and roll riffs.

But the Primal Scream frontman (inset) is arguably at his best in ballad mode, those tender moments that expose the frailties of a voice cracking and straining to reach the notes. Cry Myself Blind, Damaged and I’m Losing More Than I Ever Had are cases in point.

And it’s in this mode Bobby finds himself for his new collaboration album with Savages’ Jehnny Beth.

Working together was the natural progression after they joined Suicide on stage in 2015 and the logical conclusion is Utopian Ashes, a soulful, country-influenced mix with nods to Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris.

And lead single Remember We Were Lovers is a deliciously heartbreaking study of a failing relationship, perfect fodder for two dark characters

“In the same way you create characters for a novel, we’ve created characters here,” says Jehnny Beth. “But you put yourself in it, because you’re trying to understand the human situation. The singing has to be authentic. That’s all that matters.”

“When you write a song you marry the personal with the fictional and make art,” adds Gillespie. “I was thinking about two people living alone, together but apart, existing and suffering in a psychic malaise, who plough on because of responsibilities and commitments. It’s about the impermanence of everything — an existential fact that everyone has to face at some point in their lives.”

In addition to Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth, the album features Johnny Hostile (bass) alongside Primal Scream trio Andrew Innes (guitar), Martin Duffy (piano) and Darrin Mooney (drums).

Utopian Ashes will be released on stream, download – LP, CD on July 2.