Prima Queen – ‘The Prize’ album review: a stunning debut

Name: Prima Queen - The Prize
Rating: 4.5

Dale Maplethorpe

Thu 24 April 2025 10:41, UK

Prima Queen - 'The Prize'

4.5

THE SKINNY: Sometimes, you hear music that is so cohesive and completely unrecognisable as anything other than a fully-formed piece of work, that the fact that it’s the by-product of multiple minds is hard to come to terms with. That’s the exact experience you get when you listen to the debut album by Prima Queen, The Prize.

Band members Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden met in London during a music programme and grew their band from a distance, as one lived in London and the other in Chicago. They were making music over Zoom before making music over Zoom was a normal thing. And yet, that distance seems to have brought them closer than most other musical outfits releasing material at the moment.

When you listen to The Prize, you are subject to a lot. The instrumentation is fantastic, with a range of musical styles explored throughout and some killer guitar work on certain tracks. You are also exposed to great storytelling and a unique lyrical ability. However, the most overwhelming aspect of this record is the connection that seems to establish itself between the two singers.

Throughout the album, the songs sound as though they are the product of one mind, as the two have a working relationship which complements each other perfectly. This is a triumph of a debut and an album that deserves your attention—luscious melodic indie at its polished best.

For fans of: Self-affirmation and people who like to try to guess who the songs are about.

A concluding comment from your future hungover self: “Listen to this album, you’ll feel better.”

The Prize track by track:

Release: April 25th | Label: Submarine Cat Records | Producer: Steph Marziano

‘Clickbait’: A trippy introduction made up of vocal snippets, piano hits and a very soothing ambience. [n/a]

‘Mexico’: Strolling right on from the introduction, that soothing ambience carries into the song’s opening track. The opening lyrics set the scene for this album, one which will bleed honesty and hold nothing back: “I dreamt last night that I died, and you came to my funeral.” Following a serene introduction, a slow beat and plucking guitar build. The added layers feel natural, with birdsong on the wind as opposed to track one on track two. Meanwhile, the harmonies by both members of the band sound beautiful. If this is the album, I can’t wait for the rest. [4.5/5]

‘The Prize’: This is the last track they wrote for the album, and it feels like an interesting choice to put it third. So many of the songs on this record build to ‘The Prize’, so to have it so early feels odd as far as storytelling is concerned. Nitpicking aside, though, this track is glorious. A self-affirming tune that you should hum to yourself every time you look in the mirror. [5/5]

‘Oats (Ain’t Gonna Beg)’: While Prima Queen have great vocals in a technical sense, they also have a lot of character, which they use to put fun chunks of emotion and attitude into their songs. We hear this clearly on ‘Oats’, which has an assertive twang. It’s one of the funkier songs on the album and another one to hum in the mirror, depending on the room you find yourself in. [4.5/5]

‘Ugly’: An all-too-familiar love story about a festival romance that couldn’t make it outside of side stages, overpriced beer and wristbands. One of the standouts on this song is the fuzzy guitar tone, which comes through during instrumental sections and adds an edge. [4/5]

‘Flying Ant Day’: A serene-sounding number that creates an atmosphere difficult to describe. With vocals happening at different times and instrumentation that wouldn’t feel out of place on a beach, this feels like a song for late nights. A really beautiful listen that breaks up the album well. [4/5]

‘Meryl Streep’: Delicate instrumentation allows for in-depth storytelling, which Prima Queen manages through verses that are borderline spoken word. Their stunning vocals shine through on a bridge and chorus, though, on a track which builds incredibly well and has a great payoff in the form of an upbeat and exciting outro. [4/5]

‘Spaceship’: When you’re eight songs into an album that has excellent vocals, lyricism and storytelling at its heart, you can begin to take excellent vocals, lyricism and storytelling for granted. If that happens to you when listening to The Prize, then maybe Spaceship will give you the reality check you need. This vulnerable song about being in love with someone distant yet struggling to stay away is one of the most brutally honest tracks on the album and is the reminder you need that you’re not listening to a good album… you’re listening to a great one. [5/5]

‘Fool’: After the heartbreaking nature of ‘Spaceships’, the album needs a pick-me-up, and this comes in the form of ‘Fool’. It’s upbeat and a lot of fun to listen to, one that demands dance moves and sing-alongs. [4.5/5]

‘Woman and Child’: We are ushered into this song with a distortion-laden guitar line. Prima Queen’s harmonies continue to surprise as it seems the beauty in their singing will never wear off. Throughout this track, we are reminded of their talent and how prominent it is throughout this record. [3.5/5]

‘Sunshine Song’: It does what it says on the tin. This is a song that sounds like sunshine, don’t ask me how that’s possible, it just does. I played this song next to some of my houseplants, and I have never seen them grow so quickly. A great track to photosynthesise to. [4/5]

‘More Credit’: After a beautiful album, it only makes sense to end with a beautiful song. There is nothing to be said about ‘More Credit’ that hasn’t already been said. Just listen to this record. [4/5]