Let us be honest, 'Strange House' was a little bit shit. Made by five people who seemed to be more obsessed with their glam-goth appearance then attaining any real music credibility. They were thus given a Chelsea boot up the arse by their record label and kicked to the curb. Surely that was the end of this all too long gothic nightmare. It wasn’t. In what has turned out to be an inspired decision by some fucking genius at XL Records, The Horrors signed a new record deal. The image was played down and through some clever PR we found out that this five-piece really know there stuff. Then they delivered it. Then they delivered not only the greatest album of 2009, but a landmark album for British music. 'Primary Colours' was everything that nobody was expecting.
'Skying', on the other hand, as brilliant as it is, is everything that everybody was expecting. It’s a logical evolution from 'Primary Colours' taking the synthetics and distorted production to the next level. That said, if there is one criticism to be found on 'Skying', it may well be the production. Although I’m sure it is intentionally distorted and hazy, it can become a bit blurred. ‘I Can See Through You’ being a case in point, it isn’t bad, but at the same time it won’t be what some want. The album becomes overly lo-fi at points.
In the run up to the album release, the band has discussed a synthesizer that has been created by Joshua Hayward. From what they said it sounds like something incredible and on opener 'Changing The Rain' we immediately find out that it’s a real piece of work. This ‘super-synthesizer’ never takes front stage, it just dreamily and exquisitely supplements everything else that’s hitting your ears.
'Endless Blue', after its insatiable instrumental, horn laden intro, turns into a powerhouse that sounds distinctly influenced by ‘The Holy Bible’ era Manic Street Preachers. The lo-fi standard of production really stands out as a positive on this track, merging guitars, synths and bass into a sort of musical assimilation.
As you listen to 'Skying' you can’t help but feel that if it had been released in the early nineties it would now be viewed as a seminal album in British indie. It feels so, of that time. Lead single 'Still Life' could so easy nestle itself in the back catalogue of The Chameleons, The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen or even further back to bands like Joy Division. But even whilst sounding so similar to so much that has preceded it, 'Still Life' (and 'Skying' in its entirety for that matter) has a sound completely unique unto itself. It seems to, even more so than 'Primary Colours', have a soul. And not one tainted blackness, as apparently The Horrors have diversified there wardrobe to include a myriad of colours now.
The album is brought to a close by the brilliant double bill of 'Monica Gems' and 'Ocean’s Burning'. The former harking back to some of the clatter created on 'Strange House'. It’s totally off centre in the verses and drivingly regimental in the choruses. While the latter is the most subdued The Horrors have ever sounded, yet possibly the most brilliant The Horrors have ever sounded (almost like The Beatles at the height of their drug laced psychedelica). It’s also the best Faris sounds on the album. Mainly because for the other nine songs he’s hiding behind a veil of distortion, but here his vocals are laid bare for all. It’s rather beautiful.
Simply, 'Skying' is a contender for album of the year. There is no doubting that fact. It’s blissful, grandiose, pseudo-gothic brilliance. It is in fact the third album that My Bloody Valentine never made.
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'Skying', on the other hand, as brilliant as it is, is everything that everybody was expecting. It’s a logical evolution from 'Primary Colours' taking the synthetics and distorted production to the next level. That said, if there is one criticism to be found on 'Skying', it may well be the production. Although I’m sure it is intentionally distorted and hazy, it can become a bit blurred. ‘I Can See Through You’ being a case in point, it isn’t bad, but at the same time it won’t be what some want. The album becomes overly lo-fi at points.
