On Chaosmosis, Primal Scream go retro with an archaic array of flat, thumping synth beats that recall new wave bands from when the term actually meant something for a moment: those once-bohemian brits who mixed burgeoning synth pop with rock such as The Human League and Duran Duran. Bobby Gillespie even tries on his lower register occasionally so he too can become one of those suave cyborgs.

Though this blatant callback is something they haven’t done before, it’s not outside Primal Scream’s main interest of making rave-y alternative rock they hoped the indie kids would dance to. However, those same indie kids eventually grew up and tried to do the same thing with the same ’80s influences in a trend Chaosmosis missed by several years. Most importantly, Primal Scream’s hooks here just aren’t strong enough and this is still pop music.

“Where the Light Gets In” featuring Sky Ferreira is the only big winner from the album, and it makes you wonder which collaborator was more responsible for the tune’s success. Speaking of successes, the wistfulness of “Autumn in Paradise” just barely takes off. But it still isn’t an essential track, and neither is this album. After Primal Scream did the unthinkable for a band their age and released their best album, More Light, in 2013 this is a disappointing follow-up that shows the eclecticism and vast compositional detail of the previous was just a short-lived psychedelic spark.