The Horrors: Strange House
The Horrors emerged on the cover of NME before anyone had heard their songs
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Monday, 05, Mar 2007 05:28
Loog, March 5th.
In a nutshell.
Ravenous, raucous, striking, stomping, pop
What's it all about?
The first thing to realise when you listen to Strange House is that Faris Rotter, the young and lanky frontman of the Horrors, doesn't sound like a kid. He's got a great voice which can screech, yell, shout and issue orders in equal abundance. They may all have silly names (Coffin Joe - my personal favourite) and look like the attendees of a Russell Brand fan reunion convention, but they have the tunes to backcomb any hair.
Count in Fives sounds just as ridiculous and piercing as before, resulting in a likeable tune that rarely leaves your head. Little Victories proves that this end result is no one-off as Rotter picks his way through a menacing bass line that speeds along at an impressive pace. Noteworthy is the Horrors' resurrection of Screaming Lord Sutch's Jack the Ripper, a fairly surreal experience even on paper.
She is the New Thing catches the Horrors in chant mode; it also reveals how lovingly the band pays tribute to/rips off a number of bands whose names escape you. It's another strong song and is one of many that owe a debt to Mark E Smith and the Fall.
Who's it by?
The Horrors emerged on the cover of NME before anyone had heard a substantial chunk of their hyped material. They were set to take over and stars were there to join the party. Delightfully named Sheena is a Parasite was first on the agenda, followed by the excellent Count in Fives and the new single Glove.
What always seemed certain about the Horrors is that their image, rather than the music, would divide music fans straight down the middle. There are those that claim a lot of the hype around the Horrors is pretentious codswallop. Then there are those that believe them to be the band of the moment, leaders for a generation of kids who mix the grime of London with the freak chic of Rocky Horror.
As an example.
"Irrespective of the subject/ I will make it apply/ No matter what the object/ I will count in fives/ Just tell me the location/ I will stand outside." Count in Fives remains one of the band's standout songs.
Likelihood of a trip to the NMEs
They've already been nominated a number of times and Strange House may scoop a couple.
What the others say
"Like Klaxons, Faris and co are building their own reality from the ground up." NME
"Their cover of Screaming Lord Sutch's spook-rock masterpiece Jack the Ripper shows ghost-train pop and instrument flagellation can be a thrilling combination." Guardian
So is it any good?
The Horrors' music certainly comes complete with the image. Fans buy into this entirely with the spooky gigs and the horror-style fanzines. But if you forget the spooky rubbish this album stands on its own as an exhilarating listen. Gloves - the current single - eventually leads into Rotter talking over the quietened instruments in a Smith-style snarl. But before this it rattles and shakes around a room in electro splendour with Rotter's lyrics piercing their way through.
Thunderclaps sounds like Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster with an organ being thrown in for good measure. The band echoes Rotter's vocals in a bizarre fashion and the track stands out as a particularly freaky number. The same goes for Gil Sleeping, with its swing squeaks and jerky beats lasting over four minutes before climaxing in an unnerving way.
When the Horrors hit the mark, the results are impressive. Count in Fives, Jack the Ripper and Little Victories make up a strong bunch of songs which are well within the band's ability. A Train Roars is a weak note on what is otherwise a surprisingly accessible record, which un-weaves the hype and picks out a decent band.
Rotter and co have got a shelf life and they'll need to find more than one Count in Fives to survive the next fashion swing, but at least Strange House proves there's more substance to the Horrors than hairspray, false angst and lots of scary movies.
7/10
Karl Pike