Moving Further Away

My favorite new shoegazing, black-clad British gentlemen, with teased out hairdo's are back with Skying, their third full-length album. The Horrors were fortunate enough to burst onto the scene in 2006 as critic's darlings thanks to NME. Their debut single, Sheena is a Parasite/Jack the Ripper generated a ton of buzz that summer. They DJ'ed at the Troubled Minds club night, had to reschedule in-store appearances because of crowd concerns, and released their second single, Death at the Chapel. They also reissued Sheena Is a Parasite as a limited-edition DVD single. The song's startling video was directed by Chris Cunningham and featured actress Samantha Morton as Sheena. Late that summer, the band signed to Stolen Transmission in the U.S. and released a self-titled EP that fall.

Flash forward to 2009, with their mixed shoegaze, post-punk, and goth album, Primary Colours, which was released by XL that spring and earned several critical raves, including NME's Album of the Year. I happen to think of that album as the offspring of the Cure mixed with the Chameleons and My Bloody Valentine. That The Horrors' sound can be heard as a catalogue of influences is nothing new for this band. They've routinely been tagged as "record collector rock" for their unabashed aping of influences from the Cramps to Can-- and indeed their well-selected covers indicate a group that has spent some time in record shops. I think these kids are quoting responsibly and taking their influences and working in their own sounds.

In Skying, I think they are blending the sounds of Psychedelic Furs with Simple Minds, if I had to make comparisons. I enjoy them so it is not a problem for me. The album is a bit lighter, more atmospheric, slightly less melancholic. It's more melodic and more pop. Yet somehow the Horrors' chameleon act seems more cohesive and convincing -- or perhaps it’s just less shocking to hear them give their music another complete makeover. The main remnant of Primary Colours is that album’s production, which the Horrors embellish further with dense layers of synth, guitars, and vocals. Skying's centerpiece and lead single, “Still Life,” defines its approach, with sparkly mid-‘80s keyboards and brass that only strengthen the feeling that Jim Kerr sang this song over the credits of some long-lost John Hughes movie. Though “Still Life” isn’t as striking a salvo as Primary Colours' “Sea Within a Sea,” it’s just as striking in its own way, and even if nothing here quite matches their previous flashes of brilliance, Skying reflects the Horrors' growing abilities. Not only do the bandmembers stretch the muscles they developed on Primary Colours with workouts like “Moving Further Away” and “Oceans Burning”, they also turn in some downright poppy moments like the towering “I Can See Through You” and “Endless Blue.” While the Horrors' main skill still seems to be embodying whatever styles catch their fancies as completely as they can, they put more of their own stamp on these sounds. Regardless of where they end up next, the Horrors have already traveled much further than most listeners would have imagined.

Listen to my track pick, Moving Further Away here.


Buy your copy of Skying at the shop or here.