08 May 2014

The Horrors – Luminous




Even as the slow fade of synthesizers, and the gradual inclusion of arpegiators build the sonic foundation for Luminous, the newest album by The Horrors, you can tell that it is going to be GIANT.  As the synthesizer introduction reaches a crescendo, a wall of fuzzy guitars, room filling drums and a basement dwelling bass covered in grit join them in a swirling, yet driven groove that has the psychedelic textures of bands like the Flaming Lips, and Tame Impala, but with more (or maybe bigger) balls.
The Horrors have grown exponentially since their debut album Strange Home, and each album shows sonic experimentation and song writing maturation, Luminous is no exception.  It seems as though the band took all the best sounds and ideas on Skying and cranked them up to 11.  Despite their affinity for taking chances with sounds and structure,  Luminous does have a lot in common with Skying, so if you are already a fan, you will immediately relate to some of the characteristic movements that the Horrors have built into their niche.  Not to say that they have phoned the album in, that is most certainly not the case.  There is plenty to love.
On “Chasing Shadows” (the albums introductory track), they prove that they are going to be patient leading into the record.  Almost giving the listener a disclaimer, like “Okay, these are the sounds we use, prepare yourselves, because soon they will be buried in guitars, but rest assured, they are there.”
 It is important to remember that the Horrors are a band that is right at home in the studio, so it seems like they are flexing their production muscles a little.  Right around 2:52 seconds, the song explodes into the heavy drum groove that they had us all waiting for. 
Listen to "Chasing Shadows"

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