Search - Horrors :: 2Nd Album

Not a horror show anymore

vedderoh1 | NJ United States | 05/15/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
It is always the same old story: your band's picture appears on the cover of NME and your fifteen minutes of fame turn into twelve, or less. Was not a surprise the reluctance of critics and audiences in welcoming the b-film inspired aesthetic of The Horrors when they stormed London with their particular names and looks and those infamous short lasting shows; after all they had been hailed as the next big thing even before their record was released and counting only on short gigs and the buzz in town.



The Horrors self-titled debut EP was a guttural collection of garage rock that provided an interesting paving path for what was to come. Songs like Jack the ripper (a Screaming Lord Sutch's cover) and Sheena is a parasite put them on the music map.

For the follow-up they recruited producers Craig Silvey, Geoff Barrow of Portishead and Chris Cunningham. Gone were the outrageous outfits and the attention given to their outer form and in was the effort to giving birth to a signature, more elaborate sound.



Their new act is evident from the energetic, genially introduced Mirror's image. Three decades is a catchy tune with multiple layers of guitars and the omnipresent synth that keeps them loyal to their original noir theme. Who can say is the song that could open them doors to radio exposure in this side of the pond, a touch of 60's rock with a spoken line that delivers one of the most electrifying moments of the album. Sea within a sea is the longest track on the record clocking in at just under eight minutes and curiously the first single. It offers no original tricks: it is built on a sustained note (see multiple references to My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Mary Chain) that never resolves into a climatic ending but provides the perfect exit to a startling record.



With a voice that reminds us sometimes of Ian Curtis and some others of a living zombie (isn't that what he is going for?)singer Faris Badwan manages to plunge confidently through forty-five minutes that beat all skepticism about the band's lasting quality. Primary Colours proves that The Horrors are a band beyond the makeup and the pages of the British pamphlets. A look at the first obvious clues, the new videos and the cover art, should be a hint.



They have achieved a cohesive sound without resorting to filling noise or yells; one can even understand the lyrics and enjoy the music without a flinch for the good reasons. They have admitted to the limitations of the genre they chose as a starting point and risked in turning it around for their benefit. Not to say that they have conquered yet but it is certainly a big step ahead and that is always a good thing."

Must Play on Repeat!

C. Poehler | San Francisco | 05/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a depart from their first album, art punk with a delightful dark touch, but still keeping the that raw authentic sound the Horror's have. Its a brilliant sophomore album that ventures further in the the dark swirling intrinsic sound that make them stand apart from others. With ghostly familiar authenticity, the Horror's seem to entrance you with their influences.... everything that is dark, dizzying and wonderful.

If you are a fan of the 80's British alt rock bands Echo and the Bunnymen, Jesus and the Mary chain with a touch of the early 90's shoe-gazing droning sound of Loop, My Bloody Valentine, and Ride then you must get this new album from the Horrors and be taken away to a blissful dark trance."

Marching To The Sea

Murphy | Northern California | 12/15/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Here's the problem a band like The Horrors faces with a record like this. It gets compared to some excellent sources and influences from way back in the late 70s and 80s and we're left feeling like they're derivative or stuck in a time or place. So, here goes. Most bands in the universe today sound like a horrendous middle of the road, watered down Pearl Jam. Most alt rock sounds like Rush meets Led Z meets Kiss meets Queen. Your Dad's older brother's records. The Horrors sound like....



...like they came snarling and dancing and posing out of punk and goth (80s Goth, not the twilight preteen fantasy) and the Thin White Duke and Can and...well, like they listened and absorbed and diluted and mixed up so very many interesting/preening/posing bands.



The sleeve and the music are out of focus and hypnotic. Sea Within A Sea. Do You Remember snarls from the opening chords, except it's lost and unsure and certain. And textured and layered and aloof.



Sure, Joy Division (live) meets "Heroes". Except. Sounds like the first time you heard Psychocandy.



Best of 2009."