Luminous - The Horrors Review
There seems to be no better title for The Horrors new album ‘Luminous’, because that is exactly that.
The album flickers into life slowly, like a universe beginning: a bubbling maelstrom of synths, before it explodes into life like a supernova at the three-minute mark. This seems to fit seemingly due to the title being indebted to the stratosphere and universe beyond. An anti-climax is definitely the completely other end of the spectrum when trying to think of ways to describe this album.
Track three of the album, and highlight throughout, “So Now You Know”, is the most comprehensive, wonderful pop song that The Horrors have ever shaped. The swirling, fist-pumping, redemptive energy that the chorus screams seems, at first, at odds with its narrative, until you hear the lead-singer forlornly sing, “Ready to forget the loss/ Never let the good things go…” It’s devilishly catchy, devastatingly simple chorus – an unembellished, repeated refrain of “So now you know/ Turn away…” overlays laser gun-like synths and funk-fuelled bass guitar hits.
Badwan has never been the zestiest singer in the rock ‘n’ roll industry, but he’s at his best yet, and seems to shine bright like the north star on Luminous: changing his delivery to suit the music and composition – stretched, high, and ghostlike on opener “Chasing Shadows”; slow, drawn-out and jaded on “So Now You Know”.
Halfway point “I See You” is the next milestone. The main body of the track is beautiful: subtly anthemic, punchy, melodic and rather synth-pop-esque; but it’s the three minute finish that makes it remarkable. There are, undoubtedly, other moments of brilliance too: in a year when every band are embracing electronica, synth-pop and psychedelia in some volume, few have flourished it as successfully as The Horrors do on “Sleepwalk”.
But Luminous isn’t a magnum opus – with the exception of “I See You”, it’s sometimes unoriginal in its devotion to formula, it’s musically plagiaristic (say if My Bloody Valentine, The Smiths and Simple Minds were to have an unconsecrated love child) and underwhelming at times (“Falling Star” being its most uninspiring moment). For the most part, though, it’s an absolutely great collection of songs. The Horrors do have a magnum opus inside them, and with each release it’s bubbling closer to the surface. Luminous, however, is not it.
Many people may have the nerve to slate this album, calling it ‘an album moody indie rock that is hidden behind synth-pop’, however, it would only be after spending a week listening to their incomparable fourth LP – probably daily – on repeat. The Horrors, in the most gracious possible behavior, have slapped in the face of every sanctimonious doubter who assumed they were just a bunch of pretty, tight-pant wearing, Topshop loving, stylish college dropouts camouflaged as a rock band – myself included.
7/10
-Emily Stephens
(original post date 15th June 2014 - www.in-bloom-music.tumblr.com)
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