‘Night Life’ — The Horrors — Album review

Six may well be the magic number after all, as that’s what album* we’re up to from The Horrors now. Faris and co have pulled out all the stops to deliver a sparkling yet dark, grungy return, which, until last year, we assumed we’d never get…

‘Night Life’ posits a moody name for a deeply explorative, fresh chapter for the band, who recently enlisted keyboardist Amelia (formerly of The Ninth Wave) on a full-time basis. And as they now approach 20 years as a well-known outfit, what a fitting time to celebrate a comeback — though probably without overtly dubbing it that (oops). Anyone else recall when ‘Skying’ was awarded NME’s ‘Best Album’ back in 2011? A cool standout from a decade of genre calibre.

Fast forward and they’ve claimed this record is one of “weight and space, melancholy and euphoria”, so it’s for the discerning indie fan looking to rekindle something audible from their formative years. That’s what I’m gleaning from it, anyway. Let’s not forget that The Horrors are keen on innovation, whether that’s through mixing up their styles or drafting in a new formation.

So let’s dig into it. ‘The Silence That Remains’, a song with a somewhat ironic title, was the first drop of their campaign, and it sits snugly as the third track of nine. ‘Trial By Fire’ — still a fave — follows it.

You may have listened to ‘Ariel’ when it landed the other week; the soft, yearning opener grumbles with a low bass holding its otherwise ethereal presence together. It’s a tad creepy, but it really draws you in after it builds — perhaps the ultimate scene-setter. By contrast, you get these sharp, smacking synth and drum sounds that reveal ‘Silent Sister’, the swaggering second number in order. It’s a bit more button-pushing — in the literal sense — than some of its counterparts. I’d go as far as to say it’s reminiscent of olden-days Crystal Castles, just without those chilling female vocals.

In terms of offerings we’ve not heard before, ‘The Feeling Is Gone’ is atmospheric and electronic. It has less in the way of single credentials and more filler about it.

By this point, though, I can also remark that they don’t scrimp on length here; ‘Lotus Eater’ goes beyond some of the five-minuters to deliver more than seven of ambient synths. You may recognise it from their batch of singles. Yet, of them, I always rated ‘More Than Life’ the most. Why? Well, it was more traditional stuff from The Horrors, and bonus: it gets really shreddy but retains this delirious catchiness as well. What’s not to lap up?

Again, a filler-esque, almost score-like change of tempo hits as the penultimate tune, ‘When The Rhythm Breaks’, kicks in. It’s also partially where my concentration lapses. But it’s reignited on ‘LA Runway’, the pacy, pulsating finale that drives excitement and reminds you that this band are enjoying their revival. Confirmation too that they’ve still got that je ne sais quoi.

The Horrors are playing a series of shows to promote ‘Night Life’ up and down the UK this month, before jetting off to Europe to continue the bid. They’re also headlining Dot To Dot Festival in May. Be sure to catch them!

If you only download one track, let it be: ‘More Than Life’