- Artists:
- The Horrors »
- Label:
- Loog Records »
Long-term faces on both their hometown of Southend and London's trendy Hoxton scenes for some time, it was inevitable that The Horrors would eventually go from being The Royal Hotel’s house band to acquiring a decent record deal and adorning the front covers of both music and style magazines alike in glossyville. And that’s regardless of what they sound like...
Of course, that is where the root of the problem – their problem – lies. After all, if there was a fantasy league where rock groups rather than football teams were created, you'd probably pick a band with the image and attitude of this bunch every time, even down to the on-stage aliases (Coffin Joe, anyone?).
When one gets down to the nitty-gritty of their musical output, though, a vacuous chasm starts to appear, and fast. To call The Horrors one dimensional isn't just stating the obvious; it's like telling a child that Santa only comes once a year. After eleven songs, the band’s inability to stretch their sound starts to take its toll.
Which is a shame: as live bands go, The Horrors are one of the most exciting and entertaining acts around at the minute. They regularly brighten up many a dull indie-by-numbers club night with their riotous, theatrical performances. But, of course, you can't watch the band while listening to Strange House on your iPod, and when the realisation hits home that people like The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster and The Damned have done this kind of thing so much better, you wish you'd invested your hard-earned cash in something with just a little more longevity. Listening to Strange House can be compared to ordering a Big Mac with fries – the activities can be similarly evil, but at least when your stomach’s emptiness subsides you don't have to look at the packaging every day as a reminder of your last bad purchase.
On a positive note, at least The Horrors are doing something completely different to most of their contemporaries at the minute. While some may see them as an act retrogressing to garage days most ‘proper’ musicians would rather forget, they nevertheless have the foresight and vision to go way beyond last week's fad for divine inspiration. If their existence persuades some 14-year-old kid to check out some of the Pebbles or Nuggets compilations from the mid-to-late 1960s, then they have achieved something to be proud of.
But back to the matter at hand: Strange House is unlikely to win this youthful quintet any new converts. The best advice to anyone wishing to sample The Horrors would be to catch them live – preferably in as small a venue as possible – and seek out the first two singles before committing to this debut long-player.
Hopefully – and I say this with complete sincerity – this sadly mediocre record won't signal the end of The Horrors. They _do_ have something to offer that other contemporary (and mainstream-accepted) artists can only dream of, but they really need to ‘know their place’. In their case: around midnight in a dingy basement bar with the amps turned up as far as they can go.
- In Photos: Bestival 2012 @ Robin Hill Country Park, Isle Of Wight
- Leeds Festival 2012: Drowned In Sound's Friday blog
- In Photos: Sziget Festival 2012 @ Budapest, Hungary
- In Photos: Latitude Festival 2012 - Day 2 @ Henham Park, Suffolk
- Latitude 2012 - Drowned In Sound's Saturday blog
- Latitude 2012 - Drowned In Sound's Saturday blog
- In Photos: The Horrors @ HMV Institute, Birmingham
- The Horrors, Toy, Bo Ningen at Birmingham HMV Institute, , Fri 18 May
The Horrors
Is it right
not even wanting to try to listen to a the Horrors song ?
absolutely!
not interested in 'topman' rock
"The Horrors are one of the most exciting and entertaining acts around at the minute"
What? If by that you mean its exciting to listen so a dog bark its way through a 20 minute set of songs, then yeah, break those boundaries!
A prime example of style over substance
They may not be
breaking any boundaries as such, but they're a damn sight more interesting to watch for 20 minutes than yet A.N.other post-rock Mogwai copyist ensemble or A.N.other lo-fi Pavement wannabe collective or A.N.other Britpop throwback gang of lads with nothing much to say other than wearing the same pair of levis for half the week.
Note: Band with singer
Key requirement: Singer must be able to actually SING
Interesting to WATCH yes I agree. Interesting to Listen to - no fucking way. He wrecks EVERY one of their songs with his barking, mumbled grunts.
Bands should be judged on how they sound live before anything else. The rest of the performance may be superb but if their lead singer is dire, surely that spoils everything about them.
maybe they are differnet on record (i.e. maybe he sounds like he is singing in english)
Granted
he wouldn't get through an X-Factor audition but would you say Win Butler is technically a great singer, or Thom Yorke, or countless others whose vocal style fits into what the rest of their band are doing without sounding like the next Aretha or Marvin.
Granted
he wouldn't get through an X-Factor audition but would you say Win Butler is technically a great singer, or Thom Yorke, or countless others whose vocal style fits into what the rest of their band are doing without sounding like the next Aretha or Marvin.
Those you have named
Not great singers that is true, but I can at least hear their lyrics and therefore try to understand the meaning.
I can see how you can say that The horrors singers voice can to some extent, be said to fit in with the genre of music they play. But I'm a great believer in singers actually singing. In words. That we can understand.
they just sound
like the birthday party no? So this is not a bad thing. Also they have been ace live once when I saw em. other times not so good.
each to their own
but i completely disagree with your belief.
sometimes hearing what a singer is saying is vital. other times its desirable, but not necessary. other times its better that you cant hear a word and the voice becomes an instrument. but you cant have a catch all rule for something like this.
personally, i'm put off by a lot of bands where they can sing well. they often tend to be boring, unimaginative singers biting someone else's style. and not doing as well as their influence. i love many bands where the singer 'cant sing' or 'has a stupid voice' or 'is just talking'.
as for the horrors, heard a couple of their songs and was quite impressed. they definitely have an interesting sound and take their influences from some interesting places. moreso than most indie nowadays anyway. this review sounds like it could be about right though, and is a lot more reasoned than a 'the horrors have stupid hair' type review that this could have been
I agree with the review
Definately. Its well rounded and well written. It has made me think about listening them on record as opposed to judging them solely on their live act. And just for the record, I did like them musically when I saw them, especially the gothic organ sound (a la the Munsters) I was just completely put off by the "singing"
To me though, I don't see the point in having a singer in a band where the words/lyrics sung are unintelligable. Why bother?
sometimes lyrics aren't the most important thing about a band
composition, arrangement, mood, sound etc.
i think lyrics are vital, and a band with bad lyrics will turn me off immediately. but sometimes a band doesn't have to be focussed around the singer and what hes saying to be good. sometimes what they are saying is far less important than how their saying it and how it fits in with the rest of the music
I like the cover
It's like the Mini-Pops New York Dolls.
I just don't get it
The music, look, and mood of the band just rubs me the wrong way. I don't think you should put so much effort in developing the aesthetics of your band without concentrating on the music first.
Saying that, they could all be wearing jeans and a t-shirt and I would still switch them off. I think the little one has escaped from school.
smells, looks and feels
like an NME band to me, dirty!!!
i think
the horrors should only release mini-albums, or something, with 6 brand new songs on them, instead of putting old singles on. i think it would tie in with their kitsch disposability better. they certainly aren't a band with much longevity behind them, anyway, and i think a second horrors album would be such a bad idea.
Anyone remember The Bravery?
They once rode this bandwagon.
Rubbish
They will be forgotten in a few months.
Are you talking to me ?
Because I didn't say I don't like them. I haven't even listened to them. But everything I've read about them, made me want never to try...
The Pebbles and Nuggets compilations
didn't come out in the mid-to-late 1960s...
No but the
recordings themselves date back to the mid to late 60s.
I highly recommend
spending your cash on a Seeds or Monks album or maybe something by The Cramps.
I should love The Horrors 'cos I love garage, but I can't stand the singer's voice. It sounds out of place. And the songs are boring, which is the worst possible crime.
that wasn't a reply
to Dom, just one in general. damn buttons!
Fully agree with you
though, The Cramps especially. Every home should own at least one of their albums.
Touche-
"A.N other Britpop throwback gang of lads with nothing much to say other than wearing the same pair of leis for half the week" God, but do I fucking hate The View!
Psst!
It's not that bad. They are a singles band, though. No doubt about it. 'Count in Fives' is ace, but everything else is sub-par.
breaking news
"music taste subjective" says Strik3r.
fuck yes forbit it, althought i never liked this shitty band, the masses ruin things.
this band is lame, they just wont admit that theyre totally in the same bandwagon with these trendy post strokes bands, trying to be really different by ripping off no wave bands and really believing that theyre totally unawared of any hype they might be encountered by, the truth is these guys are your totally egocentric obnoxious hipsters who have been able to get away with namedropping rip off riffs by targeting stupid ignorant teenagers with help of money making press, why the fuck would you even considering these space wasters the chance or a purchase instead of buyin sonic youths evol and at least get the real deal and feel better inside. i think all these new brisith bands that are being supported by topshop nme and reading festival arent worth it when there is a way bigger cataloge of bands who done it first and have actually been original. dont people just want to feel good inside em by just really supporting original music? FUCK HYPE
the thing is though mate, bands should remind you of theyr influences and NOT sound like em
now thats totally what the horrors dont, that what makes em a shit band plus kurt COULD well damn sing he just had an amazing shout, the argument should be any singers voice, why arent people dissin that horrendous drummer they have with whatever stupid doomy name
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