On the Horrors third LP, the primary colors that combined to created the band's eccentric brand of post-punk start to fade a little bit; however, I think the move is sort of intentional.
Rather than sticking to their guns, the band is moving in a decidedly psychedelic and atmospheric direction with many tracks on Skying. And while their aren't any terrible tracks to be heard on this release, some of the results are underwhelming, admittedly.
Still, if you've been a fan of the band up until this point, there's no reason not to visit this release, because there are definitely some leaner and brighter songs to be heard among these ten tracks.
Though the Horrors' new album Skying doesn't officially come out until July 11th, the British indie rock band has followed the established trend of internet streaming and and made the LP available to hear in advance.
Skying is streaming in its entirety at the band's website, which has been revamped in anticipation of this release.
Sonically, Skying is a dense and layered record, channeling shoegaze and dream pop sounds with a healthy dose of the ever-popular 80s revivalism that continues to dominate indie rock in 2011.
Some listeners may be put off by that nostalgic direction, but the songs themselves are engaging and interesting. Smiths fans may (or may not) find a lot to like about singer Faris Badwan's voice, which echoes Morrissey even more than on previous Horrors releases. Meanwhile, fans of The Cure's Disintegration will find a lot to like about the album's production, which features layered synth and guitar sounds piled on top of each other to produce a heavy and thick aesthetic.
Stream the album above, or over at The Horrors' official website. "Skying" is out on XL Recordings on July 11th in the UK and August 9th in the US.
I remember when I first started my YouTube channel, it had no subscribers. Yeah, they all come that way, sadly. But when things started moving in 2010, I was getting a lot of disappointed comments asking me why I never reviewed the Horrors' previous album in '09. Well, my answer is that I was just starting to do this. I was young, brash, clueless, and didn't know how the sausage was made. Sue me.
Anyway, the Horrors, which is a rock outfit from the UK, has a new album dropping via XL on July 11th. The title is Skying.
I don't know how the band turned the word "sky" in to a verb, but I won't care as long as every song on this LP is as good as "Still Life." I definitely see what all the fuss is about. The Horrors may not exactly put a brand new spin on what influences them, but they certainly do these sounds justice. I'm positive these guys own some Bauhaus, Joy Division, and Echo & the Bunnymen records.
But also, there's something very rich and well-produced about this music, too. It's very concisely placed into a pop structure. In fact, the production is so good, I'd almost liken it to a U2 record--the vocals in the verses kinda help the comparison along, too. I could seriously see Bono singing over this thing. Crazy, I know.
Still, "Still Life" is a great tune, bursting at the choruses and cooling down everywhere else. I'm not a huge fan of fade-outs, but I'm officially psyched for this record.
