Skying

The Horrors: from rags to riches

The Horrors are a spectacular example of a band, which was first badgered and battered a good deal by meticulous critics, both fair and unfair, and then–managed to prove them all wrong in a blink of an eye. It happens pretty often to those who would not listen to mind what others say about them. Coming up with a mixture of dirty garage rock sound and half-gothic image, The Horrors might sound quite original to a wide range of not very sophisticated listeners, while nobody cared about those who could spot in their music traces of some long-forgotten and never well-known. You don’t want to rummage in the old times of rock music or hips of early indie-rock records if you only want to listen to the music inspired by them. The Horrors completed their move from the league of underdogs and denied into that of recognized masters after the release of their second long player, Primary Colours (2007). The CD was rewarded with a Mercury Prize nomination, and the band was called a group of amazingly talented people with nothing but a bright future head of them. Two years later, the English extended their discography with album number three, blessed with a beautiful cover and as beautiful title, Skying.

Less speed, less noise, less fuss

Skying, just like Primary Colours, issued two years before, might pose a question why The Horrors do not think about changing their name. Neither the music nor the design of the new album have a slightest bit of horrible or awful. Stylistically, the record is a logical sequel to its predecessor, which is its main flaw. After all, it can not produce the same sensational effect, does not signify the same drastic turnover towards another music reality. The speeds are taken away somehow, leaving only two really fast tracks, You Said, and Dive In. Once the screaming vocalist Badwan turned shy and now sings very quietly, thoughtfully and sadly. In fact, The Horrors have made quite a slow pacing album with music having nowhere to run. In this respect, you should check out two truly epic songs, Moving Further Away, and Oceans Burning. In the center of the record, there is a single and the album’s most powerful piece, Still Life, a clear illustration of everything The Horrors strive for. It is all about some psychedelic feel, a bit unsteady vocals and a rich choice of synthesized effects. The band is not afraid or shameful to unveil their affection for the eighties.

As the legends taught

To record Skying, The Horrors invited no outside producer, but did the whole job by themselves at their studio on a London outskirt. Evidently, the musicians had pictured in detail what should be on the album and how it should sound. Well, the result should not let them down. Skying showcases the band’s readiness to play a complex-structure music that could claim a status of some highly intellectual stuff. The English rely on the variety of arrangements and a wide range of backup instruments to make each track live its own life and have something peculiar. Guitars, once the dominant tool, are used on Skying as something like a wall, a hard and solid wall for music exhibitions. And whose fault is that The Horrors prefer to draw their inspiration from the music of the distant past? Today, there hardly is one successful performer who would boast of a totally unique sound. However, learning from the best, The Horrors improve their chances to get real close to their idols.