The Horrors - Skying

Wed 20th Jul, 2011 in Music Reviews

The genre-spanning antics of The Horrors are truly something to be admired; their metamorphosis from Goth-punks to psychedelic brooders have lost them no fans, instead winning more and more along the way with critics in tow.

Changing The Rain opens the album in woozy, rolling fashion as Faris Badwan’s vocals sway through sullen lyrics against sprawling, drug-induced melodies. Clearing the skies is You Said, propelled by an array of synth from Tom Cowan, as the upbeat yearning continues a slow, but steady start to Skying.

There certainly seems to be a sun-through-the-rain vibe about the album, and I Can See Through You is no exception. The first real stand-out on the album, containing all the uplifting gloom of its predecessors, but with a little added kick. Lead in by some singled handed synth and the galloping drums of Coffin Joe, it’s more direct in its approach, and some cruelly-penned, but equally note-worthy lyrics such as “some people see you, to me you’re just see-through” leave the track lingering in your mind.

Lead-single Still Life is another highlight of the album, and probably best embodies the bands change in direction. Its crispy synth and indolent bass roll it along in the celestial vogue the band seems to have perfected throughout the album. Skying seems to pick up from here, with Wild Eyed containing some ghosted vocals from Badwan and a sleek-yet-odd trumpet part that well and truly separates the sulky Horrors we knew before, to the more optimistic and upbeat Horrors that are on display here.

Clocking in at nearly nine minutes Moving Further Away is this album’s Sea Within A Sea and is a New Order meets The Human League kind of affair. It’s dream like croons of “everybody moving further away” are complemented well by the opening minutes hypnotic melodies, before the song is intercepted by some rocking guitar work, before it builds up momentum to a cluttered ending.

Monica Gems swaps in 80s synth for some Britpop swagger, with some triumphant strums of guitar from Joshua Third. Its mere difference in styles makes this one of the standouts of Skying, and is perhaps an insight into the next form the chameleon Horrors will take. The album reverts back to its hazy self in its finale, Oceans Burning. Another song that’s pushing the eight-minute mark, as it twinkles gradually towards another chaotic climax of hair-raising synth and distorted guitar, while Badwan’s ashy vocals are drowned underneath.