Posted on: July 13, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

The Horrors – Strange House / 2007 Stolen Transmission / 11 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/thehorrors / http://www.stolentransmission.com /

The Horrors have been making some waves in the indie music scene in the last few months. The first track on “Strange House” is “Jack The Ripper”, and it shows that The Horrors are trying to recall an earlier period in rock music. A great deal of their music comes from the loud and boisterous rock of the seventies, even as there is a current sound to keep individuals interested. “Count In fives” is the second track up, and it shows that the band likes their punk rock just the same. In fact, it is not only a punk style that they push forth with this track, but rather a later, almost Siouxsie and the Banshees meets The Cure style.

The great thing about the tracks on “Strange House” have to be their short runtime. The Horrors recognize that the anger and energy that is shown on each of the disc’s cuts is not anything that can be sustained for a long period of time. By cutting these tracks shorter, the chaos that the band creates can still be controlled. The dark, brooding sound of “Draw Japan” seems to go into a realm primarily occupied by The Cramps. The overall output of The Horrors may not vary all that much, but there is enough present in regards to variation to make this an interesting album.

Each of the tracks bring brilliant fire to listeners; the band may not have a “Sheena’s in a Goth Gang” to their name by the end of the album, but each of the tracks here rocks in its’ own way. The only thing that I would suggest to The Horrors would be to grind the edges of their recording a little bit. The songs, such as “Horror’s Theme”, are interesting but become grating at points. If the band could clean these up, chances are that their star will rise faster. The band sticks with the album for thirty-five minutes, and it is a solid entry into the world of independent music. However, I still think that The Horrors could further clean up their sound and impress all the more. Keep an ear on The Horrors and definitely check out their next album. If I am right, they will have matured to the point that they could put forth some retro-sounding yet cutting edge music. Regardless, they play some interesting music on “Strange House”, and people should check that out.

Top Tracks: Gloves, Draw Japan

Rating: 5.8/10

 

Leave a Comment