If you want to talk about musical progression by album, I don’t think there’s a better example than Southend-on-Sea’s The Horrors. Since their debut, these guys have been changing up their style, experimenting with new ideas, expanding their instrumentation prowess, and overall having no comfort zone. They’ve gone through straight creepy, haunted house garage punk on Strange House, noisy and wavy shoegaze/post-punk on Primary Colours, and Tame Impala-like psychedelic pop and rock on Skying. I’ve been waiting on this release since it’s announcement back in early 2013, it’s been pushed back 15 months and now I’ve got the chance to see what it has to offer.
Within the first burst of sound that comes from “Chasing Shadows”, you hear that the sound has been slightly altered from Skying with the synthesizers being the prominent instruments rather than the traditional drums, bass, and guitar. It takes a while to get into the opener, which is a give-or-take thing when it comes to intros, but when it finally builds up, it delivers. Throughout the album there are sounds that are familiar from other artists that these guys add in rather well. Strums reminiscent of 70’s and 80’s krautrock, cascading synths from Lonerism, and simple but grooving basslines from bands like Peace.
“First Day of Spring” and “In And Out of Sight” have that energy that The Horrors have been known for since Primary Colours and paired up with the danceable synths that come right out of a Cut Copy B-Side, it’s refreshing to hear them not be so somber. “I See You”, the lead single is bursting with pop potential as a summer anthem. There is so much 80’s cheese that it’s perfect for today’s hipster audiences. “Mine and Yours” has a really cool wah-wah guitar sound that’s completely psychedelic and packs a lot of noise in a short song. It’s like what Dumbo Gets Mad’s LAST ALBUM should’ve been. “Sleepwalk” is a beautiful, soft rock closer that leaves you falling back to bed with a catchy chorus. Most of these songs are very well written and have their own unique production tricks, but there are a few elements of each that either don’t sit well or are kind of shocking to hear.
For example, “I See You” would have to be cut down to a radio edit because of the 3 minute outro that detracts from the fun rather than adds to it. “Falling Star” is enjoyable but the production is a bit wonky at times with the effects on the main guitar lead. It’s a cool sound, but I don’t think it would go over very well with a lot of listeners. A moment that freaked me out was when “Jealous Sun” started and it sounded like a discount My Bloody Valentine’s “I Only Said”. The chorus on “Jealous Sun” is great, but the rest of it seems like a rehashed shoegaze sound, relaxing but it’s been done. There are also times on here where I wished I heard less of Faris’ vocals. “Change Your Mind” would be nice if they had the guy from Film School do the vocals, but it doesn’t fit Faris. Slow and sultry isn’t his style, especially once you’ve heard “Sheena is a Parasite”.
Final Verdict: The album is very solid even with the little nitpicks of the influences on it’s sleeve. The tracks are dreamy and it didn’t stray too far away from Skying, which was one of my favorite albums of 2011. The synthesizer leads and production tricks bring it together, making the album feel a lot grander. It’s as if this dream pop is inducing a dream of flying cities and bright bursting lights and gorgeous cloudscapes that you remember just as you wake up and you can’t wait to write it down. If you want to relax, if you want to dance, if you want to escape to somewhere while taking a walk, if you want nostalgia, this album has it all and it was well worth the wait, despite its flaws.
Hey everyone! I'm Christopher Hopkins, friends call me Oatmeal, and I'm a music reviewer, graphic designer, gamer, and artist. Can't wait to start posting up on here!