The Horrors have never been a band that stands still, but their approach has always been to evolve their sound rather then outright revolutionise it. New album ‘Night Life’ embraces the latter approach, ripping up many of the boundaries, or perhaps constraints, of old. With a revamped lineup composed of the ‘core duo’ of singer Faris Badwan and bassist Rhys Webb, joined by guitarist, Joshua Hayward and new additions, keyboardist Amelia Kidd and drummer Jordan Cook, The Horrors have delivered an album that values experimentation over everything else.
Opening track ‘Ariel’ serves as a statement of intent, with a brooding, atmospheric opening building into a powerful, haunting chorus. Badwan’s vocals are front and centre throughout, with sweeping synths bringing movement and a sense of scale. A rising beat morphs into a pounding electronic rhythm to close. Like many tracks on the album, the opener’s use of loops, vocal samples and layering signal an embrace of electronic textures and composition. This is further explored in ‘The Feeling Is Gone’, with spacious, reverb-drenched synths and percussion, and ‘Lotus Eater’ with subtle beats and a sound evocative of the introspective feeling of an afterparty track creeping into consciousness as the sun rises and the night ends.
‘Night Life’ is not afraid to strip things back at points, particularly in ‘When The Rhythm Breaks’ a track entirely composed of a shimmering synth line and subtle lullaby-like vocals. ‘The Silence That Remains’ is held together by Webb’s driving bassline, grounding the movement of the music before Kidd’s haunting vocals come to prominence during an urgent final section.
‘Silent Sister’, a nod to 2021 EPs ‘Against The Blade’ and ‘Lout’, explodes into being with an angular, heavily distorted industrial sound straight out of the late 90s. This aggression is also evident in the fist-pumping ‘Trial By Fire’ with a chorus that sounds like a call to arms.
Remaining tracks ‘More Than Life’ and ‘LA Runaway’ are the most clear bridges to the past, with gently psych-tinged riffs and driving rhythms demonstrating a finely honed version of the band’s recent sound.
Ultimately, ‘Night Life’ finds the band at their most experimental. While there are hints of The Horrors of old, this album is primarily concerned with exploring a whirlwind mix of sounds and genres, though the breadth covered does come at the expense of cohesion.. A sense of space and a focus on key sounds and textures leads to new avenues, and those willing to be taken on the album’s journey will find a fresh and bold collection that is anything but boring.
