V, the new album from UK-based rock band The Horrors seems primed to gain the quintet a set of new fans, for its moody, lush music. Preceded by single 'Machine', the 10 songs on the album are melancholy, and sometimes darker than the music on 2014's Luminous. To the band's credit, the edgier sound doesn't weigh the album down, but instead offers the band a wider canvas on which to let loose.
The Horrors have always been something of a niche concern, without the fame and oversize media attention that contemporaries like Arctic Monkeys have garnered. After all, their first album Strange House, was released in 2007, the same year that the Monkeys released Favourite Worst Nightmare. On the other hand, The Horrors have been content to shape-shift, offering listeners a sound that is unique to the band, while also managing to change, some might even call it ‘growth’, on every album they've put out. So while 2011's Skying had an anthem in the form of 'I Can See Through You', the songs only teased that the band has the ability to fill an hours worth of music with hummable hooks and great music.
Cover art for The Horrors' new album, V
That ability was honed on Luminous, and has been sharpened to a point on V, which features 10 tracks, that are each unique to the Horrors, but also within the context of the album. As a result, what you get is an album that is equal parts familiar and audacious, with the band being nudged out of their comfort zone by producer Paul Epworth, who's worked with everyone from Adele to U2 to London Grammar.
On V though, the band defy classification, running through post-rock, synth-pop and psychedelia across the album's 55 minute run time. That isn't to suggest that the album is a hodgepodge of diverse sounds and influences, but rather it's a testament to the fact that the band has managed to traverse an array of sounds, while holding onto what makes their music loved by a cult following. Perhaps the credit for that can be given to Epworth, as the band has stated in interviews that ‘Hologram’, the first song on the album, started out life as a 25-minute ambient track. On the album, it's been cut down to just over six minutes, and sets the pace for the rest of V’s songs (each of which hovers around the five-minute mark).
The first single, 'Machine', sets the tone for what listeners should expect. Leading with a swagger, the acid-rock inflected cut is heavier but buoyed by lead singer Faris Badwan's lyrics that hint at a relationship with an ice-queen, or as the world gets increasingly digital, quite possibly an actual machine. The lyrics across the album suffer from an opacity that robs the album of an element that could elevate it. Meaningless phrases and a lack of context forces listeners to conjecture and speculate, instead of gaining any insight into the band’s inner lives. While most of the music seems to be written for the opposite sex, its something that is speculative rather than concrete, and multiple listens make it easier to sing along, but don’t add the depth that one would hope for with a band that is a decade into its career.
Luckily, there’s enough melody to keep the album chugging along, and standouts include ‘Press Enter to Exit’, which sounds almost tropical, with its swirling guitar, in the context of the album. By the time ‘Something to Remember Me By’, the album closer comes around, the song’s stunning synth-pop beat has listeners thinking back to the '80s, and the bands that birthed the sound.
Ultimately, the album has the hooks to win the Horrors a legion of new listeners, especially those who already like bands like Depeche Mode, The Cure and New Order. With a breadth of musical styles and a breeziness that is belied by the darker music, V is a great introduction to a band that has skirted under the radar for far too long.
Published Date: Oct 08, 2017 11:12 am | Updated Date: Oct 08, 2017 11:12 am
