Review: Skying -The Horrors

British, art rockers The Horrors burst on to the scene in 2007 with their major label debut, Strange House. Songs like “She is the New Thing” and “Sheena is a Parasite” were a breath of fresh air amongst veteran, alternative acts –giving music with a Gothic atmosphere an accessible edge. From then on, the band have seen the light…and moved towards it. Their latest release, Skying, takes the lighter, electronic sounds of 2009’s Primary Colours and took it up a notch. What ensues is melodic waves of synths, lucid guitars, and whispery vocals.

The album opens with an almost tribal sound before fading into a psychedelic feel driven by keyboards. The track, “Changing Rain” has a “Dear Prudence” feel to it with its ethereal overlays and restrained vocals from singer, Faris Badwan. The mellow feel, with diluted vocals, is a theme throughout the entire record, but each song brings something different to the album, allowing it to remain intriguing.

There are aspects of early ‘90s alternative rock in tracks like “Drive In” and “Monica Gems” which make the record seem familiar but still fresh. There is even a post-punk feel to the track, “Endless Blue” which also incorporates a dance feel with muffled waves of guitar and bass. The dance-ability of the record seems to be a new step for The Horrors and continues on to a stand-out track, “I Can See Through You.”

While the album’s openers are strong and full of only the best old and new sounds, the album does falter with long, minimalist tracks that almost seem arduous and vocals that take a backseat to instrumentation. While “Moving Further Away” has a great bridging guitar riff, Badwan’s lyrics about his personal account of fame get to be repetitive and overdrawn. “Oceans Burning” and “Wild Eyed” seem to drone on with instrumentation that fades into the background and almost become full-out bores.

Skying’s finale, “You Said” breathes life back into the album. And while the tone of the album, as a whole, is light and forward-thinking sound wise, the lyrics are still quintessentially dark and mysterious. What The Horrors excel at is the ability to remain themselves in their appearance and message while moving forward and discovering new sounds. The album is beautiful –the cascading keys and shining moments of intricate guitar playing and subtle drums prove that this band knows what it is and is proud of it. **9.4/10